Tough course changes young lives - June 2015
INSPIRATION: Former WHS student Shannon Julius was a spirited speaker at Wanganui District Council Chamber last week.
Young Wanganui graduates from the latest Limited Service Volunteer (LSV) programme were welcomed home with a morning tea on Thursday.
Councillor Jason Granville hosted the event at Wanganui District Council Chamber and congratulated the young people for completing six weeks of training. He introduced guest speakers Lieutenant Commander Andy Buchanan of NZ Police, Regional Commissioner for Social Development Gloria Campbell, Lieutenant Commander RNZN Andrew Lincoln and LSV graduate and Youth Ambassador Shannon Julius.
The LSV programme is a run by the New Zealand Defence Force on behalf of Work and Income and assists youth to improve their job prospects, increase their confidence, and make new friends while living at a military camp during the course.
The speakers acknowledged that six weeks is long time in young person's life and Commander Lincoln said it was tough for trainees to make the transition from lying about in bed to army training.
"The first week is filled with shock and awe - trainees have 40 seconds to get out of bed in the morning and they have to make that bed twice a day.
The commander said he was proud of the LSV organisation and the trainees who make it through the course.
"They learn to stand on their feet and plot their own course and even those who don't make it go away with something."
Ms Campbell said Work and Income's role was to put good support around trainees before and after the course and help them to achieve their career goals.
Lieutenant Buchanan said police personnel join the trainees during the course and participate in the same exercises where they gain much admiration for them.
"You admire them because it is not easy and they need a lot of resilience to get through."
Trainee Greg Apihai was presented with a police award for his effort on the course and said it made him proud.
"We were told that we should not hunt for the award and those who did would not be successful so I was just myself and tried my hardest."
Juanamari Kiu said there were times when she felt like dropping out but had managed to tough it out.
"I had a bit of a reputation as a 'drama queen' but I think I'm over that now."
Chase Williams, Anyon Staines and John Smith all spoke of the positive changes the course had enabled them to make in their lives and their renewed self-esteem.
Shannon Julius, a 2014 LSV graduate, was the final speaker.
"I was the fastest female in my intake and I was chosen as a youth ambassador to travel to Turkey for the ANZAC commemoration" she said.
The 19-year-old said she had always always enjoyed fitness but when she heard about LSV she was reluctant to leave her 2-year-old daughter for six weeks.
"The course was hard and being away from Lily was hard but I feel like a newer person and I have clear career goals."
Shannon had applied to join the RNZAF and was waiting to hear whether she is accepted. She added: "The basic training is for three months and that will be hard but I chose the airforce instead of army or navy because I wouldn't be deployed overseas and I need to think of my daughter."