Eight students from NUI Galway are among the inspirational young people to receive the Gaisce Gold Award in this year's Gaisce Awards. The medals were presented by President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, recently in recognition of their civic engagement and personal development.
The students — Catherine Mohan, Ciara McDaid, Erin Shimizu, Jason Sherlock, Kirsty Moran, Odhran Wheelan, Sinéad Reidy, and Orla Masterson — volunteered hundreds of hours with a variety of nonprofit organisations including Ability West, St Vincent de Paul, Barretstown Childrens Camps, Tidy Towns, and Childline, as well as undertaking student leadership roles working towards inclusion and diversity.
“Gaisce – the President’s Award is unique in the sense that it encourages young people to set their own personal development goals within a framework that allows them to achieve them and contribute to their communities in their own way," CEO of Gaisce, Yvonne McKenna, said at the awards ceremony.
“Every single day I am inspired by the courage, the energy, and the commitment of young people doing their Gaisce Award, and I am so thrilled we are getting to celebrate the breadth of their achievements, from tackling global challenges like biodiversity to local supports for neighbours in need, young people are consistently push themselves for others.”
Gaisce – the President’s Award is a programme that aims to foster and develop young people's potential. It is a guided and supported framework that is provided for young people aged 14 to 25 to explore their natural skills and gain confidence and wellbeing through participation in personal, physical, and community challenges.
“Throughout the pandemic students committed to undertaking the Gaisce award challenge in their communities, volunteering and building their mental and physical health skills," said Lorraine Tansey, NUI Galway’s President’s Award leader. "We are inspired by the commitment students made and look forward to building on their leadership offering students continued civic learning opportunities with our university community partners.”
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