Those words, delivered by keynote speaker Isabelle Marcoux, inspired more than 100 girls at The Study last Thursday at the school's annual Career Day.

The recurring theme throughout the day was simple: passion and hard work are the keys to success. Believing in yourself doesn’t hurt, either.

“Hard work took me where I wanted to be,” said Marcoux, vice-president of corporate development at Transcontinental, who started the morning off in the school’s performance hall.

Her father, Rémi, built Transcontinental from the ground up. Today it employs over 15,000 people across North America.

“The decisions I make with the team I work with shape the future of our company,” said Marcoux proudly. She admitted that this can often be stressful and sometimes keeps her awake at night.

Her career is her passion. She believes that passion can get you far in life, for it complements the idea of working hard. She was inspired by her father before her, and hopes to inspire her children, the eldest of whom attends the school.

She reminded the girls that they all held the key to their own futures. “It’s important for you to stay true to yourselves," she said. "Always follow your passion and work hard. There are no free lunches.”

Once Marcoux’s presentation wrapped up, the girls attended three different sessions of their choosing, in various fields, including dog training, fashion design and dentistry.

Westmount resident Mary Ann Farley was one of the speakers. She is a single working mother, her daughter Jessica is in Grade 10 at The Study.

Farley’s career in multimedia has taken her all over the United States. She moved back to Westmount in 2001. Throughout her career, she admits that learning was an ongoing process. She once wanted to be an actress, but found the world of multimedia almost by accident. She has had both success and failure throughout her career — but has never stopped learning.

“Not every project comes to fruition,” she told a classroom full of girls. “But the experience was worthwhile.”

Farley also projected a message of passion and hard work. Her positive message sparked a dialogue amongst the girls, who were encouraged to ask questions freely.

Her main piece of advice: “I followed my passion and really trusted my intuition.”

She believes that the girls need to become what they want, not what someone wants of them.

The Study's popular Career Day is now in its 20th year. Teacher and academic advisor Lise Anderson, who has been organizing the event for the past four years, begins planning at the very latest by early September. Often, she spends part of the summer lining up guest speakers. Each year a committee is formed to choose a diverse group of people who will show the girls that the possibilities for their future are endless. They try to promote alumna and parents, to emphasize the feel of family that the school exudes.

Career Day embodies The Study’s ideal of educating and shaping great women. It showed these girls that the possibilities are endless if they choose to work passionately.