Kalidjah Walsh
Kalidjah Walsh started as a self-learner, teaching himself how to do buzz cuts and fades via YouTube videos and practising on his friends. When they kept returning each month for haircuts, Kalidjah realised his talent was valued!
A proud Gunai/Kurnai man from Gippsland, Kalidjah did not enjoy high school. Rather than drop out of school, he decided to enrol in the Certificate III in Barbering at Chisholm Institute of TAFE to refine his skills.
He sent images of his barbering work to Style & Co and asked to be taken on as an apprentice. The owner was impressed with his work, took him under his wing, and supported his enrolment in the course.
Kalidjah's enrolment as a “Block release student” meant he attended classes for one week each month, enabling him to immerse himself fully in his studies. It was a style of study that really suited him, rather than the traditional one-day-per-week model.
He was selected as a finalist in the Koorie Student of the Year category of the 2024 Chisholm Education Awards for his skills, emerging leadership, class contributions and determination to succeed.
His dream is to one day open his own successful chain of barber shops, and to mentor his younger brother to follow in his footsteps.