I fully believe that achieving the Gold Award for the DofE led me to become the individual that I am today. I began my DofE journey in 2011 when my friends and I were raising money for a school trip to Belize in 2013. We were all students of Wick High School at that time and we were traveling to Belize so we could undertake voluntary conservation work in the Chiquibul National Park, as well as completing our final expedition for the Gold award. However, we had many hurdles before the final hike which I have fond memories of, the training expedition in Forsinard where I made friends that I would still be in regular contact with to this day. To the planning of our practice expedition in Ardgay where it rained for the entire expedition but it really proved how vital team spirit was needed to get us through the hike. The expeditions really helped with my planning, teamwork, and orienteering skills in later life and proved to me what I was capable of. After that, I completed my final expedition in Belize which was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and was the opposite of Ardgay for the weather! I then went on volunteering for a charity (Caithness Drug and Alcohol Forum) in Thurso helping them and aiding them with their ICT requirements for over 24 months. Learning to Golf as part of my Physical as well as participating in a week-long residential activity in Dayton Ohio, visiting Sinclair Community College, and participating in a comparative exercise on behalf of my own education institution (North Highland College UHI). I remember feeling daunted at the time of not knowing anyone who I was traveling with or knowing anyone over in Dayton, Ohio but it certainly brought me out of my shell and has aided me in my work today as a Computer Science Lecturer and ICT Systems Specialist at the University of the Highlands and Islands. I achieved my Gold Award in 2020 after tying up loose ends before I turned 25 and believe this is one of the greatest achievements I've held to date.