Kate Kelly is a Gaisce Ambassador who last summer represented Gaisce at the international Gold Event, she says, “I got to go to the international awards in Prague. I got involved with a load of charity events there and worked in an orphanage too.”
Kate is currently studying law at University College Cork and explains how Gaisce has helped her develop as a person, “It has definitely helped build my confidence. For my personal skill I did public speaking. Before I was afraid to speak in a room with 10 people. Now I’m comfortable speaking in a room of a couple of hundred.”
Through doing her Gold Award while studying in college Kate found Gaisce gave her motivation ‘outside of your timetable’. “It really had a massive impact on my studies and my mental health. I got involved with societies within the college through Gaisce and I made all of my friends by doing Gaisce.”
As part of Kate’s residential project for her Gold Award she volunteered in Lady Lane House, Waterford which is a secured living space for elderly people. “I stayed in one of their apartments for the few days. I interacted on a daily basis with the residents, serving them dinner and helping with preparations every day. It was a great experience.”
On achieving her Gold Award Kate remembers the day fondly, “It meant a lot. I got my Gold Award the day I turned 21 so it was a really nice day out with my family. It was really lovely hearing the President speak about Gaisce in such high esteem. I have got asked a lot about it in interviews and interviewers are always very impressed by it.”
Kate is currently working towards a degree in law and is hoping to train as a barrister in the coming years. “I have still kept up all my exercising from doing Gaisce. I’m always trying to keep up learning new skills so last year I went back to study Irish.”