A local woman has revealed a very special hidden talent which has her in the running to win a one-month round-the-world trip.
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Kendelle Watts (23) is a self taught special effects (SFX) make-up artist who has secured her spot as one of five finalists in the national Shaping Young Futures Competition run by HR and recruitment company, Randstad.
She stumbled across the competition online which required her to make a 30 second video showing her special talent.
Kendelle said four of the finalists were chosen by a panel of judges.
“I was the fifth and last finalist,” she said.
“I was selected through public voting as People’s Choice.”
The five finalists will each participate in a one-month paid internship at some of the country’s most attractive employers including Virgin Australia, L’Oreal Australia, National Australia Bank, Seek and Marketo.
Kendelle said she first discovered her hidden talent and love of SFX make up while studying Psychology at the University of New England in Armidale.
“I was interested in face painting, so I watched a lot of videos online,” she said.
“I decided to give it a try and get into some more elaborate painting.
“There was a store in Armidale with basic stuff like liquid latex and face paints so I practised on myself for a while and when I got a bit more confident I started on my friends.
“We would drive through fast food restaurants to see what sort of a reaction we would get!”
Kendelle’s hobby has stepped up a notch during the last 12 months.
“I’ve been doing it a lot more, now I’m using silicone prosthetics and producing more complex effects,” she said.
“I’ve started an instagram purely dedicated to my SFX.”
Kendelle said her ultimate aim is to get a job in the industry.
“My specialty is injuries, but now I’ve started getting into very elaborate body painting and working with prosthetics to make creatures and things,” she said.
The Shaping Young Futures overall winner will be announced this Friday, June 10, at the Randstad Youth@Work Expo at RMIT in Melbourne.
The winner will receive a one-month round-the-world trip meeting with young business start-up entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley; a day at the F1 Williams Martini Racing Team head office and factory in Oxfordshire, England; coaching and mentoring sessions with Randstad’s Youth Ambassadors and Senior Business Leaders in Singapore and at Randstad Headquarters in The Netherlands; and AUD$3500 spending money.
Kendelle lives with her parents and brother on a hobby farm at Tichborne, and works part time at IGA in Forbes.
She is continuing her psychology studies part time through UNE.