Turning up to speak at a decile one school in Northland recently, I was surprised at the reception I got. The children were overly excited to see me. “It’s just you’re not from the police or social work,” the principal said with a sense of sadness.

I don’t think we can ever underestimate the impact of fronting up and opening the eyes of young people – young women in particular – to opportunities they never knew were possible.

More information: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/93107019/sarah-trotman-the-importance-of-successful-female-role-models