The last day of semester was very inspirational and memorable for the Year Nines from Galen College, the High School and Cathedral College. Students attended a seminar provided by the Reach Foundation, which helped us to build on our self-esteem and relationships. It was held at the Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre.

Reach is a charity aimed at teenagers to boost their self confidence and promote mental health and wellbeing. Reach workshops are run by a young crew aged between 15 to 25 –  so it was easy to relate to them.

We started off the morning by splitting up into groups and going to workshops where we explored topics like self confidence, peer pressure and how comfortable we are in our school community. The workshops were really moving as we could share our feelings and thoughts without being judged.

We were fortunate to have as our guest speaker, Sam Cawthorn. Sam is an inspiring motivational speaker who shares his experiences worldwide. Sam was in a car accident which left him with one arm and a severely damaged leg – he was told he’d never walk again. He’s proven them wrong and uses his experiences to help others see how precious life is. He won “Young Australian Of The Year” in 2009 – and we could see why.

We came back with a stronger sense of acceptance, respect for other’s feelings, self worth  and community – it was a fantastic way to end the term.

By Annie Brien & Ruby Gardner-Russellm, Year 9.