Photo comp: Ethan Li, Canada
Ethan Li
Award Level:
Silver
Favourite memory of the Award:
I really enjoyed the time I spent on the adventure journey because I got to meet a lot of new friends and challenge myself physically and psychologically to finish the rigorous backpacking journey. The food I ate was surprisingly good too. I thought MREs and instant noodles tasted the same, but apparently not. Trying a variety of different kinds of food on that journey opened my mind quite significantly.
Age:
16
Biggest challenge from doing the Award:
The biggest challenge during the Award was by far building and maintaining the dedication to persistently do all three of the activities weekly. Some weeks where school work got really tough, a break from logging in the DOE website seemed extremely tempting. However, what participating in the DOE has taught me is that I need to rise up to any challenge, in this case procrastination, and overcome them step by step.
Country:
Canada
Have you continued any of your Award activities? If so, what:
I have continued every single one of mine award activities: badminton, art, and cleaning up the streets. Completing these activities during the award has made me develop a genuine love for these particular endeavors.
Tell us the story behind your photo:
I was amidst the creation of my art portfolio when I discovered the Duke of Edinburgh Award. My art series at the time revolved around apples as my desired theme was “health” and apples just happened to be known for its amazing health-effects; “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Meanwhile, with "fake meat" foods becoming more popular , I decided to incorporate elements of the apple (a fruit) with the insides of cooked ham. Afterall, would it not be interesting in the future to have apples that can taste, smell, and look like meat show up in the fruits section of the grocery store?
Award Role:
Participant