Benalla P-12 College and FCJ College students were at the Gateway Hotel in Wangaratta on Thursday, March 7, for the annual Zonta’s International Women's Day Girls Breakfast.
Students were up early to get to the breakfast, which started at 7.30am.
The event was an opportunity for students to be inspired by and network with mentors from a range of workplaces.
This year, those included lawyers, police, healthcare workers, paramedics, artisans, hospitality workers and more.
Zonta Wangaratta president Christine Haddrick said this was the 18th year the event had been running.
“When we started, we had no idea it would be so successful,” Ms Haddrick said.
“Hopefully, we’ll still be doing it in another 18 years.”
Ms Haddrick said the concept of the breakfast has not changed, but since the first one, the numbers have grown year on year.
“And the amount of mentors has grown,” she said.
Benalla P-12 College Year 11 coordinator Nalina Deo went along with students and said the opportunities that can come from the breakfast could be life-changing.
“Around Year 11, they start looking at their options and careers,” she said.
“For these girls to be sat at a table with a mentor giving them valuable information is really motivating.
“They can sit with someone who has been very successful. Some are too shy to talk at first, but when the mentors speak to them, they get involved.
“There was also a speech from a girl who met a mentor at one of these breakfasts and has now started a business.
“It’s really inspiring to students, and they all get something from it.
“We have the Zonta boys breakfast next week, but not many have signed up.
“So the girls who went have been telling the boys they should go.”
Ms Deo said she wanted to thank Tomorrow Today for helping Benalla P-12 College attend last year.
“This year, our bus took us, but last year, we didn’t have it,” she said.
“Tomorrow Today gave us a grant of around $600, which allowed the girls to attend.”