Awardee reflection - Olivia Wooton

Choosing to enter the 2024 ANZAC Spirit School Prize competition, I never would have expected the experiences, friends and learning I got from it and the big impact it had on me. I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to go to Vietnam and learn and experience so much, and to do it all with such an amazing group of people. Learning about the history was so eye-opening, visiting the historic places with commentary from Dennis and Martin taught me so much. Experiencing the unique Vietnamese culture gave me a new perspective on my life back home. And the new friendships I made mean a lot to me, we definitely all shared a special experience.

I’m so grateful for Martin, sharing his wealth of knowledge with us. I learnt so much about history throughout the trip, yet it was nothing like a boring classroom environment! In many ways I found myself shocked at the brutality of war. The War Remnants Museum was very confronting, especially what we learnt about Agent Orange. It is unbelievable and heartbreaking how this affected so many people, even to the fourth generation. Learning about the innocent civilians who had to live underground, I found it amazing that even when they were having such hard times, they would sing to drown out the sound of bombs going off over their heads. That gratitude and positivity is just incredible, I think we can all learn something from that. 

And both services run by Dennis left an impact. Standing in the rubber tree plantation, where ANZACs had stood, run, and battled, it emotional and surreal and it gave me a whole new understanding of the sacrifices made. The ANZAC service was deeply touching, standing on the deck of the ship in the rain, looking over the islands of Ha Long Bay as thunder and lightning struck, Dennis’s descriptions helped me to vividly imagine ANZAC day all those years ago. I’m so grateful to those who fought, both those who didn’t make it back and those who did made such a sacrifice.

It was incredible to travel all over Vietnam and experience so much of the culture. Vietnam is such a beautiful country, and I am so grateful that I could travel there. We were so blessed to experience the authentic food in beautiful restaurants every day, and it was amazing and plentiful. There were many differences between Australia in Vietnam, and I think it reminded us all of how much we have to be grateful for. I’d never recognised the privilege of rinsing my toothbrush with tap water until I had to try so hard to remember not to! Walking through the busy traffic in Ho Chi Minh made me extremely grateful for Martin, without him I would probably have been flattened by now! And seeing the smiling children in the orphanages made me so grateful for my family. The fact that even small stickers brought grins to their faces really brightened my day and made me reflect on how I can show gratitude in my own life.  We are very blessed in Australia, yet there were so many amazing parts of Vietnam that I appreciated, and I would love to go back one day if I get the chance. The people there are so kind, happy and grateful for what they have. Their welcoming attitude is part of what made this trip so enjoyable.

And my fellow awardees and the supervising teachers were the best part of this trip. I can’t believe most of us only knew each other for two weeks, we really felt like family by the end! For two weeks, Vietnam was home and you guys were my family, and now I honestly feel homesick! I couldn’t have asked for a better group to spend this trip with, and I am so grateful for each one of you. From the light-hearted jokes, random conversations, fun karaoke and laughter shared to the deep and honest conversations, every part was amazing and I have to thank everyone in our group for that. Okay, well not EVERY part was amazing. While being sick wasn’t fun for any of us, I was really grateful for the care and support that everyone offered each other. Having people check on me was really appreciated, and being able to do the same to others throughout the trip was also important. Especially the teachers, even when they were also struggling with sickness, they were looking out for us. I want to thank everyone for caring and looking out for each other, it really helped us to feel like a family.

So I just want to end by thanking everyone. I am incredibly thankful for this opportunity, and I have so much gratitude to the soldiers. Walking in the steps of them and learning about their stories gave me a whole new understanding and gratitude. The group sharing about soldiers was definitely a highlight. Experiencing the culture was incredible and Vietnam is a beautiful country. But at the end of the day, it’s the people that meant the most to me. Without the hard work and care of the teachers and Martin, this trip couldn’t have happened, so thank you. And without the companionship of my fellow awardees, this trip wouldn’t have been as fun. I’m taking away new knowledge, amazing memories, HEAPS of photos, and some new friendships too. 

So thank you!