The Bathurst teenager studies speech and drama at Encore, having started when she was six years old. 

Kaleah’s first-ever eisteddfod was the Cowra Eisteddfod, making it fitting for her to attend again years later and return with a lot of success. 

She walked away with the 14 years point score, the Noel Hopkins Memorial Trophy for best Humerous, the $300 Senior Speech Championship and, most impressive of all, the $2,000 Arts Council Speech and Drama Scholarship.

“It will help towards fees and some of the winnings Kaleah might be able to spend on a computer,” her mother, Sandy, said. 

The Cowra Eisteddfod is only one of Kaleah’s recent success stories. 

At the recent Gulgong Eisteddfod, Kaleah was the winner of Best Senior Monologue, Best Senior Duologue, Senior Championship and the Kay Tuckerman Best Verse Speaking award. 

She is also working towards her teaching diploma for speech and drama. 

Her dream is to become a teacher, so she can help children develop their confidence as she has.

Kaleah said she loves learning speech and drama, along with the opportunity to perform, and doesn’t see herself stopping anytime soon.

“It is really fun to do eisteddfods and it helps build your confidence, I love the people and I have a lot of new friends,” she said. 

Kaleah has studied speech and drama under the guidance of her teacher, Kristie Thorne, who said she is really proud of how far her student has come over many years, with her improvement now being rewarded with these achievements.