Against the odds, Paparoa teenager Craig Edwards took out the top award at a military training course in Christchurch - an experience which inspired him to finish high school.
Craig, 17, topped the 2009 November Limited Service Volunteer intake, graduating from the Burnham Military Camp course with the Commanding Officer's Award
for all-round excellence.
The rugged six-week voluntary training course pitted Craig against 143 other young men and women, many older than him.
The aim of LSV is to increase the number of young job seekers entering employment or training by improving their self discipline and initiative.
While the course takes place in a military setting and uses military facilities, only the parade ground drill and physical training are similar to military training. The course includes camps and three to four day tramps.
Craig overcame personal tragedy towards the end of course. With five weeks under his belt, and the final week in sight, Craig's grandfather, 73 year-old Bill Carleton, died suddenly back home in Mangawhai.
The emotional strain of losing a close and much loved family member would see most throw in the towel, but Craig, hundreds of kilometres away from home and unable to offer his family support, used the loss of his "Poppa" as inspiration to go harder at it and get through the course.
"I know Poppa would have wanted me to keep going, he was always keen for me to go into the army in the first place, so he wouldn't have wanted me to quit LSV with the end so close in sight, even for him."
Craig had planned to leave Otamatea High School after year 12 and enter the army but the LSV course made him realise that in order to become an officer, he would need a degree - and to get a degree he would need to finish his final year at high school. The army will pay for his degree as long as he signs up for at least the length of time of his qualification.
"While I've known for a while I wanted to join the army, the LSV course convinced me it was the way to go. Even if you don't want to pursue a military career, LSV can help you decide your future."
LSV courses are run from Burnham Military Camp but from April will expand to Trentham Military Camp and Hobsonville.
