For many teenagers here and across the Commonwealth, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award has become a rite of passage, an indelible experience of their youth.

For university-bound Natasia Symonds who this year achieved the programme's most prestigious gold award years of hiking, camping and community service changed her outlook on life.

The 17-year-old, who graduated from Warwick Academy in May, was one of only a handful of local students who attained the Award's highest honour this year.

"I'd say the programme has helped me to become stronger as a person," said Natasia, reflecting on the experience.

"It's hard to put into words, but it's just something I can say I've done and be completely proud of achieving. It's helped me to become more well-rounded, and has encouraged me to develop my interests and given me opportunities I wouldn't have had otherwise. The Duke of Edinburgh's programme is something I would recommend to anyone."

All participants in the programme must take part in four components: community service, skills, physical recreation and adventurous journeys. Yet for a brave few like Natasia who take on the gold challenge, there awaits an often-gruelling overseas expedition.

This year, the expedition took Natasia and two other Bermudians south to the Bahamas where they embarked on a four-day trek with three nights of camping.

"It's an amazing experience, but it is also taxing both physically and mentally. There were times when I just wanted to say forget it. The worst was this one four-mile stretch of straight beach; just imagine heat, with no shade, only warm water to drink, and no end in sight but you had to will yourself to keep going.

"Not only for yourself, but for your group as well; everybody's a team. And my team was amazing. There is no way you can do something like that alone."

Despite the difficulty of the projects on Crooked and Aklin's Islands, Natasia said the camaraderie of the group made it an enjoyable experience.

"As we were all trying to reach a common goal, we bonded really well and to this day I'm still very close to a few people I met over there. Oh, and we were over there for Junkanoo, this Bahamian carnival type thing. That was fun!"

When she returned home, Natasia satisfied the other requirements of the award through a variety of activities. To meet the community service requirement, she spent two years as a PeerNet mentor at Purvis Primary School, where she met with a student once a week during lunch.

"We would talk with them, or help with homework or just play outside. You get to know all the kids so well; it was so much fun!"

In her spare time Natasia has a passion for dancing which she used to complete the physical recreation section of the Award.

"I've been dancing for about seven years at both Jackson's and with Unica Salsa, and I love it. I've done almost every style over the years, from hip hop to pointe, jazz to modern. Dance is something I'd like to continue with as an extracurricular in university," she said.

DofE, as the programme is commonly known, even led Natasia to try her hand at photography after a few lessons it became a hobby.

"I am very proud of Natasia's commitment to the programme in which she has gained bronze, silver and gold awards," said Andrew Dobson, who runs the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, at Warwick Academy.

Of course, when she was not otherwise completing the requirements of her gold award, Natasia was working hard to earn the rigorous International Baccalaureate diploma. In September she will travel to Halifax, Nova Scotia to begin her studies for a degree in kinesiology, after which she hopes to start a career as a physiotherapist.