Deliarna (Del) Bruce is still only in her 20s and confidently managing a dairy farm in the Maruia Valley.
But it wasn't always this way for the former apprentice who is the first to admit that she used to second guess herself.
"I was worried that I wasn't good enough, or smart enough to step up, but when you get thrown in the deep end you surprise yourself with how much you know," says Del, who is also the winner of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards West Coast/Top of The South Dairy Trainee of the Year.
Having grown up on a dairy farm, Del has always wanted to be a dairy farmer, and while she understood the practical side of things, she embarked on a dairy farming apprenticeship because she felt the need to develop her theoretical knowledge.
"I still refer to my textbooks from my apprentice days - they're not gathering dust on a shelf somewhere. The apprenticeship gave me the confidence to do things, more than anything.