“Outward Bound has taught me a lot. It helped me grow my inner voice, giving me the confidence to speak up, just be myself and to not shy away.”
For Cathrynn Schwalger (Pictured above second from left, top row), a 28-year-old, HV trainee electrician for Omexom, the Connexis Outward Bound scholarship offered the opportunity to step outside her comfort zone and push herself to achieve new things.
Cathrynn, who has been training through Connexis with Omexom for the past two years, first heard about the Outward Bound scholarship through another trainee. “I remember students from when I was in high school doing this course and they said they really enjoyed it.
Before I went I thought it involved a lot of physical activity, like a sports camp. That was partly why I wanted to apply for the scholarship, so I can have some fun playing some sports but I also wanted to apply because I saw the course was based around leadership and that is something I really wanted to grow strong in, especially in an industry dominated by males. I wanted to make sure I had the ability to be heard in a room full of experienced workers.”
Cathrynn says her time at the five-day Outward Bound Professional programme helped her find that confidence she wanted.
“Firstly, I learned that Outward Bound was more than a sports camp! The programme taught me the importance of taking risks and seizing opportunities to challenge myself.
“I am a very quiet, observant person which was noticed by the instructors. They gave me advice on how I can enhance my skills to grow my leadership. They are all things I would love to apply in my work life like speaking up and challenging myself.”
The biggest challenge of the course for Cathrynn came in the middle of the course.
“That was the self-reflection challenge. Being in a space with no distraction and no way to tell time. It made me think deeply and actually focus on myself. But getting through that was also a highlight of the course.
“I felt I overcame all my doubts and fears once I had completed it. Another highlight I enjoyed was meeting the others in my group. We all held different types of leadership skills but all had a way of communicating smoothly with each other.”
Cathrynn says she loves working in her trade, because it’s hands-on and allows her to actively engage with her work. She also values the opportunities, like the Connexis Outward Bound scholarship, to grow.
“ I value the abundant opportunities there are to upskill, learn something new, and continuously expand my knowledge in a field that is both challenging and rewarding.”
She also highly recommends the Outward Bound Professional programme. “Definitely take up the opportunity to do the Outward Bound course, it can change you for the better.”
- For the past three years Connexis has offered scholarships each year to learners to take part in the five-day Outward Bound Professional course. The aim of these scholarships is to help grow an infrastructure workforce in New Zealand that has strong, visionary leadership for the future. The Outward Bound course is structured for current and aspiring leaders of any industry by testing resilience, adaptability, confidence and self-awareness through a series of activities. These scholarships have been possible through a grant to Connexis from the Infrastructure Education and Training Charitable Trust.
- Keep an eye out for more information on upcoming scholarship opportunities for 2026 at www.connexis.org.nz/scholarships.