At the end of June I attended the Young Enterprise Scheme Entrepreneurs in Action event in Wellington along with 79 other young entrepreneurs. I was put into a team of eight students from around New Zealand, and we competed in two business challenges. I was very inspired while meeting lots of other entrepreneurs and New Zealand business leaders. The team who won both challenges received a fully paid study tour to Brazil. Young Enterprise then informed us that they were going to select a further 16 individuals to go on two different fully paid study tours to South America sponsored by the Latin American Centre of Asia Pacific Excellence. I have been selected by my peers, mentors, and a judging panel to go to Chile for a week in October along with seven other students. All 80 of us also received a $1000 scholarship to Massey University. While in Chile we will make site visits to established companies and start-ups, meet with local business leaders, engage in a variety of cultural activities, and partner with local students to participate in a business challenge. We will take back our experiences to our schools and communities, expanding awareness of the Latin American region and the career opportunities open to us. Our reflections throughout the visit will be published on the LACAPE and Young Enterprise NZ websites, circulated through e-newsletters, press releases, and social media to the wide audience of corporates, sponsors and stakeholders who are passionate about Latin America and developing young entrepreneur's leadership skills. I feel very blessed to be given this opportunity to represent New Zealand, Canterbury, and Middleton Grange.

Rachael Winder