Business Industry Dinner 2021
On Wednesday evening, A.B. Paterson College Board hosted 41 industry leaders at our annual Business Industry Dinner taking place in the Lower Mathematics Building. Representatives included pilots, creative industries' specialists, educators and solicitors, corporate managers and financial advisors, doctors and entrepreneurs as well as authors and engineers. Our Year 12 students relished the opportunity to network with industry mentors and to ask advice on career pathways to enable them to flourish, thrive and stand out in a crowd beyond A.B. Paterson College.
Deputy Board Chair, Ms Nicole Kelly, opened the evening by welcoming our industry mentors and encouraged all students to embrace the networking opportunity. As entrees were served, students introduced themselves to their first mentors, before quizzing our guests about their career pathways and professions. Research was conducted into specific careers and individuals to ensure that both students and guests got the most out of the evening. Insightful and astute questions were posed and industry leaders shared their experiences, advice and career highlights.
Our speaker for the evening - 2016 graduate Mr Benjamin Devine - spoke of how this time five years ago he was in the same position as the Seniors seated before him, and in order for him to stand out from the crowd, he immersed himself in as many internships and work experience programs as possible. Mr Devine offered six key messages to the cohort of 2021, believing that these would be most helpful to a ‘young, aspiring, less-cynical, less-jaded me’.
1. The end of Year 12 does not mark the end of your learning journey, but is in fact the beginning of a lifetime of learning, regardless of the industry or profession you pursue.
2. Opportunities are all around you, but the only person who is responsible for and invested in your success is you.
3. Think carefully about the opportunities you want to pursue and don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone.
4. Don’t think that you have to have your life and career plan set in stone by the time you leave Year 12, because the reality is that even if you think you do, it will almost certainly change.
5. Professional networks and developing relationships is a valuable skill.
6. The sixth and final point is simply summed up in two words – have fun!
After dessert, with students having moved on to their final two mentors, College Captain Jodie Down presented her student response. She spoke of the inspiring passion and commitment demonstrated by the industry leaders in attendance as being something that the Year 12 cohort can hope for in their future careers. Jodie thanked each mentor for taking the time to meet with the students at this event and for being so generous in providing invaluable wisdom and mentorship.
As the evening drew to a close, College Principal, Ms Sheehy expressed her gratitude to the College Board for their organisation of the event and to the industry mentors for sharing their valuable insights with our Year 12 students. Our annual Business Industry Dinner was thoroughly enjoyed by our students as they head into the final half of their Senior year.
Charlotte Brook
Head of Senior School
