With the dust settling after her experience on The Bachelor New Zealand, winner Fleur Verhoeven has taken a new step on her life journey, using the platform she gained on the TV show to encourage others to believe in themselves and feel confident in their own skin.
The 26-year-old visited Waipukurau School yesterday, at the invitation of the Family Works Social Workers in Schools (SWiS) programme, to talk to about 30 Year 8 girls from Waipukurau, Waipawa and Otane Schools about her experiences growing up with low self-esteem, and finding the tools to feel better about herself.
Her family now lives in Waipawa, having moved to New Zealand from Holland when Ms Verhoeven was 16-years-old.
Her high school years were lonely ones, she said.
"I would eat lunch in the toilet at school and I did not go out with friends, I wanted to be at home with my family.