Friday 15 November 2013

Prizegiving... THE AWARD

well what can I say... a fortnight ago the school had it's senior prizegiving. a big formal event where the awards are given out. Well it went as expected though I did get up at the wrong moment luckily I realised though I still looked silly. Anyway I collected my humble endeavour awards (for working hard in my classes) and sat down not expecting to get anything else and just to be an average person. I was a little sad as I had hoped to do a little better... BUT THEN...
happy
Well as you can see from the picture I clearly have an award. :-D it is a big one too one I never expected to get. Anyway this is the story...

I was sitting feeling a little glum though I was happy to see my friends and fellow prefects getting their awards. Then it came to the Principals award chosen by Mr Vanderlaan himself. for a student who has overcome adversity, still I didn't expect much but then there came the speech... (this is roughly what he said)

this was an award to a student who at his primary school was taken out of class to receive special help with his mental disabilities. Asperger's syndrome, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and ADHD which made it hard for him to socialise.

At this point I knew it was me, the smile on my face went from ear to ear (it would stay like that for a while too, fortunately its gone back to normal now) I also started to notice how the prefects next to me were one by one figuring it out also.

The speech went on for a while but when it came an end I rushed up on stage to applause, certainly a moment I shall not forget... I shook hands with Mr Vanderlaan and looked across my stage to see my dad being given the award to hand over to me. not knowing whether to hug him or be really formal I collected the award from my father and walked off stage... shaking... that was an emotional moment for sure. the prize-giving went on for a bit longer I watched good friends getting the top academic awards, but I was happier than ever, I didn't need 3-5 awards (our head boy Ethan did, or more, one of the nicest people I know)

Well that was a while ago, I was just waiting for the picture! the award I'll have to give back for the next year's recipient but I have a nice certificate and received $100 with it. Although now I am going through my BIG EXAMS so it's not all over yet. but I think that MY FINAL DAY OF SCHOOL EVER (apart from the exams and university which doesn't count) could not have ended in a better way.

hope your all well and happy yourselves. I have a Leopard 2 (my favourite tank) and another Lynx (a die-cast) to show off to you next so don't worry I will show some models on this blog soon enough :-D

happy, happy, happy, MAD, happy, happy, taken to the mental hospital, happy, happy, happy. (ok that's enough of that)

16 comments:

  1. Good skills Gowan. Well deserved I am sure!

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  2. Congrats Gowan! That is wonderful news mate.

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  3. I'm really happy for you Gowan :) Congrats!

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    1. thanks paul... surpsizinly your responce is not as common as you'd excpect. especially when most of the responces come fround "youths" :-)

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  5. Congratulations Gowan, very happy for you.

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    1. thankyou. the responces to this post are really heart warming.

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  6. Awesome Gowan, just awesome mate, university is the place for you my man!

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    1. thanks Al. and I sure hope I get in... got to get through the exams first.

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  7. Congrats Gowan !
    very moving post, I must say ...
    "Asperger's syndrome, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and ADHD" : you don't have all those troubles ?? I was thinking that you were "only" dyslexic ??

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    1. oh no I got a nice little selection of problems there. go look at my blogger profile... ASD means Autistic Spectrum Disorder, which is the Asperger's syndrome (might actually change it).

      But it wouldn't be an award for overcoming adversity if over the years I hadn't worked really hard to make sure they don't affect my too much. I know of others who have not tied and who even though they were less severe than me back then now they are worse.

      to anyone with them I'd say just because your never going to get rid of it doesn't mean you should make them who you are... they are part of you but you are never them... I have Asperger's but I am not Aspergic. :-D

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