by Yvette Brand
Set goals and do the things you love were among the key messages presented to students attending an Inspiring Young People dinner.
Hosted by Baw Baw Latrobe LLEN (Local Learning Employment Network), the dinner enabled "experienced guests" to inspire and mentor young people about their education, training and employment opportunities.

It was the 20th anniversary of the event, which has provided inspiration and support to more than 5000 young people during its history.
Students from secondary colleges across Baw Baw and Latrobe municipalities attended the dinner held at Moe Racing Club.
More than 50 experienced guests supported the event, providing insights into their career paths ranging from trades, emergency services, recreation, finance, local government, health, media and creative.
Guest speakers for the night included business owner and Baw Baw Shire Cr Ben Lucas, Latrobe City social policy and inclusion co-ordinator Georgia Karavis, Loy Yang B people and culture manager Sam Amaira and carpenter Rachel Tate.
Set goals, aim high and do your best was the advice Cr Lucas gave students.
From a first job earning $20 a week delivering newspapers at 13-year-old, to the Australian Army and now a gym owner, Cr Lucas shared his employment journey.
He admitted school was challenging and enlisted in the Army straight from school. He was deployed to East Timor four years later.
Cr Lucas left the Army when his first child was born and turned his work to plumbing, a job that he knew was not his forever job.
"I rolled the dice, I'm a risk taker and I became a gym owner," he said.
Cr Lucas spoke about a time when he had low self esteem, made poor decisions and was charged with a criminal offence that saw him resign from council. "It was a very dark time."
But, he told students, with support he turned his life around and was re-elected to council.
"Life isn't linear, you have to learn to pivot," he said.
Ms Karavis encouraged students to know what they want their lives to look like.
"We put ourselves under pressure to decide what we are going to do for the rest of our lives. Forget choosing a career - know yourself and know what you want your life to look like.
She said key questions to ask yourself were - what makes me happy; and, what would the person I want to be do.
Ms Karavis said after different learning and training journeys, she completed a degree in food studies - "because I loved it."
"It taught me that when I loved something I could study...(and) I am now doing a law degree.
For the past 10 years, Ms Karavis worked in various roles including hospitality, charity organisations, libraries and a youth officer before her current role.
Her advice to students was look for opportunities, take the help people offered and trust your gut - "if you can dream it, you can absolutely do it."
After shaping his VCE studies towards a career in radiography, Mr Amaira said his VCE result was well short of what he needed. A "crisis meeting" with his parents led him to a business and commerce course.
An industry placement at Latrobe City Council proved invaluable in teaching him how to interact and work with people in professional settings.
He took a leap into a leadership role and completed his masters degree. Five years later, he took another step into the power industry, knowing it was the right time for change.
Mr Amaira's key words of advice were:
Don't be afraid - get out of your comfort zone;
There are lessons to be learned from everyone;
Be humble, hungry and smart - it's ok to not know what you want to do; and,
Just be yourself.
Rachel Tate said carpentry and construction wasn't her chosen career path, but said sometimes "life leads us in crazy directions."
In the years between 18 and 25-years-old, Rachel embarked on a journey of different career paths including music and being a personal trainer. "It was a lot of fun but not necessarily what I was passionate about."
Following a medical diagnosis, Rachel "hit a road block" in her job journey. But it was during her recovery, that she decided to build a tiny house, with the aid of do-it-yourself videos.
Carpentry brought out Rachel's creative side, but she never thought it would lead to a career in carpentry and construction management.
Rachel encouraged students to keep setting goals. "Check in on yourself and ask what is something I can do or try this year."