International Women’s Day event empowers Benalla students

Organiser Christine Haddrick said she couldn’t believe it had been two decades.

“It seems to have flown,” she said.

With many full-circle moments in that time, the event has seen former student attendees return as mentors and speakers.

Ms Haddrick said while the event could be time-consuming to organise, the mentors and speakers were relatively easy to find.

“We get lots of referrals,” she said.

“And no matter who I ring to say ‘hey, do you want to be a mentor?’ I’ve rarely had a no.

“If someone hasn’t been able to come they’ve told me they will find someone, and within 24 hours they’ve rung back with a name and number.”

Schools in Benalla have been a part of the event for many years, and this year was no different.

FCJ College Year 11 learning leader Erin Crook was there with nine students.

“I think this is about our 10th year supporting this wonderful event,” Ms Crook said.

“Today I have actually brought a past a student, Abby Hammond, who attended one of these with me as a student, and now she's back doing a traineeship with us.”

Ms Crook said the benefits to attendees were difficult to quantify.

“It's really important for these girls to get real-life experience and to speak to people who are in the industries that they want to go into,” she said.

“And also to hear their stories. How sometimes your plan isn’t exactly what you’ll end up with and I think that’s really encouraging.

“I just love that it opens the world up to the girls. It’s inspiring for the girls to see that they can do anything.”

NE Tracks LLEN was, once again, a sponsor of the event. Its program co-ordinator, Annetter Boredale, said events such as Zonta’s Career Breakfast were wonderful for young women.

“One of the speakers, Emma Merlo, said it’s all about bumping women up, not cutting them down,” she said.

“And seeing girls coming through, from being Year 11 students attending, to being speakers and mentors themselves is fantastic.”

Ms Boredale said the range of industries represented offered the girls numerous opportunities to learn about careers they may not have even considered.

“We’ve go people working in ag, paramedics, construction, retail and police to name a few,” she said.

“And who knows where these connections are going to lead to.

“Emma (Merlo) said she went from construction to being CEO of a racecourse.

“And hearing these stories is so inspiring.”

Ms Haddrick said she was now looking forward to the next 20 years of Zonta Career Breakfasts, especially as International Women’s Day continued to grow and evolve.

“I think IWD is really important, especially over the last five years with the way things have been,” she said.

“If you talk post-COVID where women were locked down and needed the support of other women, and even just trying to break that glass ceiling.

“I think it’s really important that International Women’s Day is promoted and embraced.”