Like many other members here today, my journey to this place has been a challenging one. I grew up here in Wellington. I found school difficult; my experience of the education system was one that focused on the kids who are doing well, while leaving the struggling kids, like me, to find their own way. I vividly recall seeing the college careers adviser after deciding to leave school early. She outright said that I may as well just get a trade—as if it was some kind of second-tier option. I left school deflated, as if I was a failure.