ROTARIANS were treated to tales of the high seas on Tuesday night, as told by three students from Bendigo Southeast College who took part in this year\u2019s Rotary Youth Sailing Challenge.<\/p>\n
Keely Milne, Kayla Ludeman, and Lachy McDougall took turns describing their adventures at sea with the three of them agreeing that the experience had been transformative.<\/p>\n
\u201cI learned to take charge of my surroundings,\u201d Keely said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to actually actively take part in something that you might have no idea what\u2019s happening but it feels bigger than yourself,<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it is, because there\u2019s so many working as a collective to work the ship,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Kayla said she had witnessed her peers grow from the experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was incredible seeing Lachy and Keely before they went on the trip and after they went on the trip,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore it I kept to myself and now I feel a lot more confident,\u201d said Lachy<\/p>\n
\u201cI just feel more aware of my surroundings,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Hayley Lethlean, year ten level leader at Bendigo Southeast College was supportive of the program and said that the sailing challenge had been an opportunity for the students to gain authentic experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the students have missed out on so much during COVID and the lockdowns,<\/p>\n
\u201cMissed out on developmental milestones and missed out on opportunities to actually grow as individuals with team members and community members,\u201d Ms Lethlean said.<\/p>\n
The year 10 students were sponsored by the Rotary clubs of Bendigo, South Bendigo and Kangaroo Flats.<\/p>\n
In past years only one student had been sponsored by Rotary but the clubs came together to support three applicants after seeing the enthusiasm of the students.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey liked us so much that they brought the other clubs together and banded together to get us all on it,\u201d Keely said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ROTARIANS were treated to tales of the high seas on Tuesday night, as told by three students from Bendigo Southeast College who took part in this year\u2019s Rotary Youth Sailing Challenge. Keely Milne, Kayla Ludeman, and Lachy McDougall took turns describing their adventures at sea with the three of them agreeing that the experience had […]<\/p>\n