Focus
Recognising and concentrating on critical and essential information.
“Before I went to Columba 1400, I was quite nervous, and I wasn’t very confident. I didn’t want to go at first, it didn’t seem like it was something for me. The experience was quite life changing to be honest, it wasn’t what I was expecting. I was expecting us to be doing work, but the Columban team were our mentors and they treated us like adults and didn’t judge us.
“During the residential week on Skye, we were doing a search and rescue activity which was hard work. It was cold outside, but we worked together, it was still fun. At first it was difficult working in a team, we weren’t listening to each other. But later on, we were working together. That night we all gathered together and had dinner. It was quite embracing, and we formed like a big dysfunctional family.
“My experience changed me a lot to be honest. It made me more confident and made me value myself more. Before I didn’t value myself and was more a trouble maker type kid, I know what I want to do in the future, it helped me out a lot. Now I want to be an electrical engineer.
“It was a great opportunity and it changed me. It teaches you more about the values of those around you and how to utilise your leadership skills to understand other people. I don’t think I’d be here, where I am today or still in school if it weren’t for Columba 1400. I didn’t value school back then, I thought school was school and I was going to leave and get a job, do a nine to five. But now I feel I have a bigger purpose, it was life changing.”
Tom, young person
