Caroline Stedman

"There are endless opportunities and it's up to you whether you take them."

When Caroline Stedman arrived at Yarra Valley Grammar in Year 7, she stepped outside her comfort zone and decided to try everything that the school had to offer.

So, she tried activities as diverse as cross country, swimming, playing the trombone and flute and getting involved in school drama productions.

“I was the only person from my primary school to go to Yarra and on my very first day there were 140 people gathered in the Performing Arts Centre. That was daunting but you had to put yourself out there,” says Caroline.

Caroline enjoyed sports and played hockey and tennis and swam for the School all the way through her time at Yarra.

A motivated student who liked to set goals and achieve, she particularly enjoyed Food Technology and has carved a career in the food industry since leaving school.

“I remember being at primary school and making pancakes and realising the joy that food brings to other people. At Yarra I picked up food electives from Year 9 and that’s when I began thinking about what I wanted to do after school.

“I was extremely motivated for VCE. It’s in my personality to want to achieve. I always have goals in mind. I recently bought a house after saving for a long time and one day I’d like to lead a business, too. There is a lot that I want to see and learn and that keeps me motivated.”

As well as the support of her Yarra teachers, Caroline credits her father with being a key mentor during her school days and beyond.

“In Year 8 we had to do a project on our mentor and I chose my Dad. He’s influenced my inner drive because of what he’s achieved in his life. We’ve learned from each other over the years,” she says.

After studying Food Science and Nutrition at Deakin University, Caroline initially worked for Twinings Tea in the product development laboratory before being awarded a scholarship to to study a Masters of Advertising and Marketing at the University of Leeds in the UK.

For the past five years, Caroline has worked with the Fonterra, a global dairy company in various roles in areas of sales, marketing and now in product innovation.

“I work with product development technologists to develop new products. Most recently, I helped create some new products across the kids and adults cheese snacking range,” she says.