At SHINE Academy I learnt many new techniques about how to manage my anger. Also how to properly act like a lady. We also learned many skills and tricks about public speaking and how to catch the public’s attention. It was an experience of a lifetime that I would recommend to anyone.
At SHINE Academy I made many new friends that were interesting. The course lasted for three days and every day was a new experience. We played a lot of games – this involved self-truths and being able to own up to the mistakes we had previously done.
They showed us how to behave in a proper manner, and if we didn’t there would be consequences, I mean having to pay. At the start of each day, we were given $200 and if we didn’t sit properly, or spoke without permission or out of context or even if we said words like “Um”, “ah”, “well” or “like”, we would have to pay $5 to the bank. At the end of each day we would have to count our money, and at the end of the three-day course Ms. Anderson would tally up all our money and the person who had lost the least would be the winner. This technique was a great one since it made us all realise how much we didn’t realise that we had such bad habits. At SHINE Academy we learnt how to get along with everyone, and to appreciate what we had. We also learnt not to concentrate on bad things but to concentrate on good things and to accept things as they were. To accept the fact, that we can’t always get everything we wish for, but to be grateful for what we have.
At SHINE Academy we played many games such as Chinese Whispers or Shake murder. Chinese Whispers was to show us how something can get changed if it goes through everyone, kind of like rumours. Shake murder was to teach us to take in every detail. If the murderer was to touch your hand differently you had to be honest and die in the game.
Finally, we learnt that us girls are much more than what we see in the mirror and beyond all our cracks and breaks, we are all the same and we feel the same things, but also unique in our own ways.
I learnt so much, made so many friends and I have taken in so many new techniques about life. I enjoyed every bit of SHINE Academy.