In 2024 Arwen F Thomas (DEW, 15-24) won the Old Breconian Charitable Trust u6th Travel Award.
Here is a brief outline of what it enabled her to experience
Growing up I had always dreamed of going to Australia, at first, I wasn’t sure that working as a sports assistant would be for me, however, as I read more about it, I began to realise the range of experiences. Deciding to do the gap programme was an easy choice for me I was not ready to go to university, but I didn’t want to just spend money purely just travelling.
After many conversations with the school and Mr Simon Hill who introduced me to the gap programme at Trinity College in South Australia, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.
The application process was relativity simple, with the whole process consisting of a few emails to trinity college and Mr Hill, and a healthy amount of forms I applied and got accepted to become a gap student.
I am currently one of four “Gappies”, living on campus in Gawler, Adelaide. The town of Galwer has plenty to offer and is roughly a 45 minute drive from the centre city. With the programme giving us a car this makes transportation quite simple and efficient to travel around and get involved with activities and functions in the local area. Although the main attractions are in Sydney, Melbourne and Bali are all a fair distance away there was easy transportation and time in the school holidays to travel and see other parts of Australia.
My role within the school has multiple aspects, including sporting assistance in PE lessons with a variety of ages and activities done in the lessons. As well as working one on one with students whether it be in PE or in class sessions. Luckily I am able to go on excursions and camps with the older years that do a range of activities from kayaking to surfing. This allows me to see areas of Australia I wouldn’t necessarily be inclined to visit or know of the means to get to that area. All of these aspects have made a wonderful working environment and interesting experience working with children. Although I don’t have the desire to become a teacher the skills that I have learned being here not only will be transferable to what I want to do in the future but also sparked the desire for me to work with and around children in the future.
If this is something that interests you or having a year abroad I would highly recommend looking into the Trinity College gap year programme. Contact Mr Hill or me if you have any question about the programme and what I’m currently doing.
If you are in the U6th and would like to know more about the Travel Award then call into to see Huw Richards
