An IT Sligo student was one of 60 young people to receive a Gaisce President’s Award at a special ceremony in Dublin Castle.
Shauna Higgins, who’s studying Early Childhood Care & Education (Year 3), received the Gaisce Award from President Michael D. Higgins on Wednesday.
“It’s a wonderful sense of achievement,” said a delighted Shauna, who’s originally from Milltown in County Galway. “It took two years and a lot of hard work to get to this point, but it’s definitely been worth it,” she said.
Gaisce – The President’s Award is the most prestigious award in Ireland for young people aged 15 to 25. It is a self-directed personal development programme in which participants are supported and mentored by a more experienced person, a volunteer, a President’s Award Leader (PAL), to set and achieve a personal challenge over a period of time.
Congratulating Shauna on her achievement, Professor Vincent Cunnane, President of IT Sligo said Shauna’s achievement encapsulated what IT Sligo is all about. “Gaisce is an old Irish word, which means a great achievement,” he said. “This Institute prides itself on helping students to realise their full potential, and Shauna’s hard work and dedication over the past two years is a perfect example of that realisation.”
Shauna is currently on work placement with the Irish Children’s Charity, Barnardos, in Dublin.
More than 20,000 young people apply to do their Gaisce – President’s Award each year and since its establishment 30 years ago, over 300,000 have participated in the Gaisce award programme. In 2014, the Gaisce award participants invested over 10,000 hours to complete the personal, physical and community challenges.
Photo caption:
President Michael D. Higgins presents a Gaisce Gold Award to IT Sligo student Shauna Higgins, accompanied by her PAL Michael Collins, Gaisce’s North West Development Officer.