Students from Marian College, Ararat Community College and Lake Bolac College had the opportunity to spend some quality time with Brekkie-on-the-run speaker, Bronwen Clark.
Currently working as manager of Public Relations at University of Ballarat, Bronwen took us on her journey of how she got there.
After completing an Arts Degree at Melbourne University, Bronwen thought she would chill out on unemployment benefits for a couple of years and write poetry.
Her mother, however, had different ideas and Bronwen sat for the Public Service test and landed a job with Social Security (now Centrelink).
She reflected on the harsh realities of dealing with welfare recipients. A couple of violent incidents at work got her thinking she needed to get out of there.
Through the Government Gazette, she found a job with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Shortly after, she applied and was successful in getting a job as Secretary to the Australian Ambassador in Geneva. She packed all her possessions into storage, which consisted of a single bed, 1 set of sheets, a chest of drawers, 2 plates, 2 forks and 1 knife.
In Geneva, she was housed in a luxurious apartment with views of the Swiss Alps.
The job may have sounded glamorous, but was very tedious. Her inexperience had her hanging up on important people (instead of transferring their calls) and actually shredding highly secret documents on a couple of occasions!
She needed a change and a challenge and put her hand up for any other duties. Her employer did not fight her decision.
Bronwen said she never had definite plans as to what she wanted to do. She had a vision of the sort of person she wanted to be rather that what job she would be doing, how much she would be earning and what car she would be driving.
Her ability to adapt to new situations saw her at the United Nations as an Australian representative at World Trade forums. After 5 years, she decided to return to Australia and was back with Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. By this time, she had a much better understanding of the Trade policy development and assisted in putting in place trade policies with Least Developed Countries.
Looking for another change, Bronwen moved to Ballarat to take up the job with the University of Ballarat. She had family and friends in Melbourne but wanted to settle in a small country town. She is loving Ballarat and realises that is not such a small country town.
Bronwen’s message to the students was embrace every day and try something new every week. Growth is all about the journey.
The ‘Brekkie on the Run’ Program which has now been going for just on one year has been made possible through funding support of Regional Development Victoria.

The program has brought women and secondary college students together across the region on a monthly basis to network, meet new people and have the opportunity to hear inspiring guest speakers share their stories.
The final breakfast for this series will be held on Wednesday 3rd October and will be organised by the students who have attended during the year.