The Year 11 girls were up early in time to get to the event, at the Gateway Hotel, by 7.30am to hear from a range of professional female mentors including:
Zonta Wangaratta President Christine Haddrick said the annual event, now in its 17th year, had been so successful that several attendees had returned years later as mentors.
“We find our mentors by connections and referrals,” Ms Haddrick said.
“So connections from one mentor to another, and we have many return.
“We have one mentor who’s only missed one in 17 years.
“And a lot of the selection is based on the career aspirations of the girls, which has changed over the years.”
The Benalla students were joined by others from Wangaratta High School, Galen College, Cathedral College, Rutherglen High School, Yarrawonga Secondary College and Beechworth Secondary College.
“Today we have 78 young female students here,” Ms Haddrick said.
“A lot, including the Benalla girls, travel quite a distance to get here quite early in the morning.
“They’re up and ready to get organised, jump on the bus, come here and then head off to school after.
“But they do get a nice breakfast.”
At the event students are seated at a table with mentors that work in a field they are interested in.
The girls enjoy breakfast while chatting with the mentors, several of whom also get up on stage to speak to the whole room.
“The ethos originally was to show the girls that just because they grew up in a country town it doesn’t have to stop them from achieving their career aspirations,” Ms Haddrick said.
“Ultimately they can achieve and succeed in the country. Even if they go away to study, there are jobs here if they come back.
“So it’s also about keeping our young people in regional areas.
“There are so many benefits to that. They’re closer to family, the cost of living is more affordable and no traffic jams, for example.”
Ms Haddrick said Zonta was also about to do a boys breakfast too.
“That will be on March 23, with exactly the same schools, and exactly the same premise.
“The idea is to empower the young boys and we felt that we need to offer this opportunity to girls and boys.”
The breakfast is always fully evaluated by the Zonta club with participants, mentors and schools involved, with a view to ongoing improvement ensuring it maintains its relevance.
