Dwight Hodge

“I love the idea that failure is just feedback and all feedback helps you make better choices.”

When Dwight Hodge joined Yarra Valley Grammar in Year 8 he was a little overwhelmed by the scale and busyness of the place. But immediately he found a home in the Arts department.

“I wasn’t a library-going kid and I didn’t mind Sport, but I enjoyed Arts,” says Dwight.

“I liked learning the skill of painting and in Year 12 I found sculpture. I remember using chisels and hammers to create a bust with limestone and I was up all hours of the morning sculpting in our garage at home.

“I also did a painting in my final year at Yarra and I think I did it four or five times. It was a series of faces and as I learned to paint, I wanted to keep refining my work.”

In Year 12, Dwight studied English, Photography, Studio Arts, Graphics and Technical Design and Development. The strength of his folio earned him a place at the Victorian College of the Arts.

After graduating and travelling around Australia, Dwight started designing and manufacturing homewares before joining his family’s hairdressing business. He later opened his own salons and he still manages those in Ringwood North and Heathmont.

He has enjoyed developing his business training and management skills and now works with business owners and team leaders to help them create positive changes in their organisations.

“It was after school that I found books more interesting and now I listen to a lot of audio books when I am in the car or at the gym,” says Dwight.

“I mostly want to learn more about how our minds work. Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book, Talking to Strangers, was good. I like to keep learning and to give things a go and see what happens.”

Dwight has fond memories of his days at Yarra. Lunch in Year 12 was often a pie and a Big M and Dwight enjoyed house swimming events.

In 2012 he had a kidney transplant – the kidney was donated by his father – but he and his father still maintained their routine of competing in the Pier to Pub event at Lorne.

“Last year was our 29^th consecutive year of the Pier to Pub and I’ve only managed to beat Dad three times!” says Dwight.

His next project is to write a book.

“You have to keep your eyes and mind open to new opportunities and stay positive,” he says.