By Eleanor Wilson
For 30 years, the Casey Women of Note Mentor Breakfast has given young girls the skills and determination to push for their career dreams.
And after a Covid-induced hiatus, the annual breakfast was back in full force this year on Friday 29 July at Casey’s cultural hub Bunjil Place.
The breakfast, which is run by a voluntary committee and supported by the City of Casey, presents opportunities for female Year 11 students across the municipality to network and gain insight into career paths from a board of mentors.
The students spent the morning gaining wisdom and guidance from members of Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria and Fire Rescue Victoria, as well as women in the creative, health and wellness and STEM fields, to name a few.
Guest speaker and Peake Real Estate director Kristen Turner inspired the group with a speech detailing her career journey from a young girl in Zimbabwe dreaming of being an air hostess, to where she stands today as a senior real estate agent in Melbourne with decades of experience.
Committee member Mary-Jo Cochrane said the breakfast would not be what it is today without the work and support of prominent community member Kay Rankin, who could not attend the breakfast due to illness.
“All of this really comes down to Kay, she has done so much work with the mentor breakfast over the years,” committee member Cath Stocks added.
Mrs Cochrane said the day was about uplifting women.
“It’s been a very successful morning; we’ve hosted a diverse cross section of students as well as a great group of mentors who are really specialists in their fields and I think the girls have learned a lot from them,” Mrs Cochrane said.
“We also owe a big thank you to the City of Casey – we wouldn’t be able to put on an event like this without them.”
