Our day started bright and early when we were provided with AT cards to train into the city at 6:30 am. After hopping off, we walked over to the Fonterra building, where the event was being held. Inside, the space was buzzing. There were young women from schools all over Auckland, and even a few who had come from outside the city, Waitākere as always, was the earliest school there. 

We kicked things off with a panel of three incredible women: Dame Therese Walsh, the chairman of Air NZ and ASB, Dame Joan Withers, the chairman of The Warehouse Group and Jolie Hodson, the CEO and Executive Director of Spark. Each of them shared their experiences in leadership, filled with ups and downs, showing that everything takes hard work before diving straight into a Q&A. Hearing their stories about challenges, big decisions, and what it really takes to lead was so engaging and taught us a lot.

Next up were Silvana Schenone, the Co-Head of Investment Banking at Jarden and Keith Muirhead, Talent Director, who talked about landing jobs, acing interviews, and shared their best tips for making a great first impression. Keith was a talent director and had a lot of exclusive information for us and shared what most companies look for in selecting the right candidate.

After that, it was time for morning tea and a chance to mingle with students from other schools. Then we heard from Aditi Gorasia, who told us how she started her social enterprise, Ads on Pads. Her business provides free period products with a goal of not only helping with period poverty but also period equality. She also gave tips for young people wanting to turn their ideas into a business; it takes strength and a lot of resilience.

Lunch was another highlight, not just for the food, but because we got to chat with graduates from Deloitte and Fonterra about life after university and their career paths. This gave us a new perspective and opened us up to different paths we could potentially take.

The afternoon kicked off with an interactive session about AI and managing your online presence hosted by Frances Valentine, Founder and Board Director of academyEX, which was surprisingly fun and super relevant to us. It was really eye-opening seeing how easy we’ve become addicted to technology, and we found ways to push ourselves to be better. Afternoon tea came with a sweet twist: ice cream! Before we headed into a big Q&A, where we could ask any of the previous speakers whatever we wanted.

Finally, the Hon Nicola Willis, Minister of Finance, joined us. She spoke about her journey into politics and where her interest came from. She taught us that it's okay to make mistakes and to just trust yourself. She answered our questions and even played a short game with us before wrapping up the day. We took some group photos, grabbed our goody bags, and headed home feeling motivated and blessed to be chosen to participate in such an amazing event. Thank you for having us, On Being Bold!

By Amelia Savieti and Kendra Sakaria, Year 13