Bachelor of Speech Pathology (2019)
Certificate IV in Aboriginal Performance (2022)
Diploma of Screen Performance (2023)
Life has come full circle for Mitch Walley.
As a child struggling in the classroom, Mitch’s parents enlisted the help of a speech pathologist.
Two decades on, Mitch is the one changing the lives of young Aboriginal children through his knowledge and experience as a speech pathologist.
“When I was younger I struggled to read and write, I was struggling with attention and concentration in the classroom, and my mum and dad got some support from a speech pathologist,” Mitch explains. “When I got to year 12 and was completing my ATAR, I had no idea what I was going to do.”
His parents suggested speech pathology, reminding Mitch of how it helped him as a child, and after some further research, he found the profession was the perfect fit.
“Communication is such an important element of life. If you don't have the tools to communicate, it's really difficult to really embrace and connect with other people,” Mitch says.
“For me, that was such a big motivator - working with people, talking with people, but also helping people - because the amount of help and support I got as a kid also influenced me at that time.”
Mitch began studying towards his Bachelor of Speech Pathology at ECU in 2015, finding himself the only male in class – a theme that has carried over to his profession.
“It was a big shock,” Mitch laughs. “I had no idea how few males would be studying the course. I proceeded to be the only male until about my third year.
“Since I studied I think I’ve come across five other male speech pathologists – and through Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) I’ve got to meet two other male Aboriginal speechies, which has been awesome. We are very rare, we’re known as unicorns.”
Bitten by the acting bug half-way through his studies after a short course at the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), Mitch’s priority was completing his degree, despite his newfound passion.
“I was trying to balance between this health degree, but also this other passion of being an actor,” he says. “But it was important to me to finish speech pathology first.
“I wanted to build my knowledge and give back and give opportunities to kids and Aboriginal people the same way I was given the opportunity first, before I try and chase something else.”
In the final year of his degree, Mitch assisted in the ECU-led Yarning Together project – a culturally secure rehabilitation approach for Aboriginals following stroke and traumatic brain injury.
After graduating in 2019, Mitch’s first role as a speech pathologist took him to Mount Isa, Queensland, working with North and West Remote Health (NWRH).
“It was completely in the middle of nowhere. People ask why I went there – I needed to get out of Perth and really challenge myself. I’d never lived away from home, so I wanted to jump in the deep end.
“Working with NWRH – it gets you out there, working with mob and communities, working with kids and adults – it was a great way for me to build those skills.”
"For me, my biggest achievement ever is being able to connect personally with the kids that I work with - to let them know that I'm not going to treat you like a child, I'll treat you like a mate, but I'm here to help you."
After a year he moved to Adelaide, working in a private practice with kids with complex needs, before moving back to Perth in 2022 and back to WAAPA.
Mitch completed a Certificate IV Aboriginal Performance in 2022, followed by a Diploma of Screen Performance in 2023, allowing him to open to the door to acting.
“I was in a play in January at the Blue Room Theatre, which was great fun. I did a show at Scarborough Beach in February, and I've been getting a lot of auditions for TV ads. I’m writing on the side as well which has taken more of my time outside of work.”
Now working at Aboriginal medical service Derbarl Yerrigan, Mitch says the juggle between the two has been challenging, but both are extremely important to him.
“I’ve been at Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service for just over a year now, facilitating and providing support in our paediatric team with Aboriginal kids and families, doing assessments and intervention as needed, so that our mob don’t fall through the cracks,” Mitch explains.
“When I finally understood how to read and write, mum used this reference – it’s the lightbulb moment.
“It's the same way I feel when I work with these kids, when I see the lightbulb flick in their head - when they finally figure something out, or they’re finally able to do something, or they overcome the barrier to something that provides them with stress and anxiety - and the feeling of excitement around that is the best part about the job.
“I don't care if it takes two days, two weeks or two years, but as soon as you see that development occur and see the family is so excited about it - that's what makes it so rewarding.
“It's why I love working with kids, because you feel like you have an opportunity to support and help them grow in a way - and it's just so pure.
“And then for the acting side of things, I want to create content for Aboriginal people that showcases us in a different way than what's typically shown, and also bridge the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people - like actually build an understanding of who we are as Australians today.”
When time allows, Mitch also works casually with GoCultural Aboriginal Tours and experiences, something he began when he went back to studying in 2022.
“I thought ‘I’d love to be part of that’. I love to share our story and our perspective on the history of Aboriginal culture.”
Mitch wears his badge as a role model with pride and hopes his story shows that anything is possible.
“I've always wanted to be a strong role model for Aboriginal people and Aboriginal kids, but now I don't want to pigeonhole to just Aboriginal kids - it should be all kids and all people who've had to struggle.
“Because I've had instances growing up, a lot of institutionalised racism has occurred for me, even social racism - and I've been put in place and pigeonholed and barriers have been put up that have been ongoing for me to break down.
“To get to this point, to be able to feel like I have the openness and the voice to do what I want - to study and act and still be a speech pathologist and balance the two… if you want to do something and you believe in it - you can. I'll happily be an example of that.”
Since joining IAHA, Mitch has been instrumental in promoting allied health as a career option, earning him the IAHA Future Leader Award.
“A lot of work is being done to connect mob and people to allied health,” he says. “If you asked my dad, he’d probably say being recognised with that national award is my greatest professional achievement.
“But for me, my biggest achievement ever is being able to connect personally with the kids that I work with - to let them know that I'm not going to treat you like a child, I'll treat you like a mate, but I'm here to help you.
“That’s the most important thing, just to connect and have the freedom to make sure the kids and the families and also the parents feel respected and trusted. And I feel like I do my best to do that.”
