450 SACAP graduates to boost mental health workforce

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For over 20 years, SACAP has been the country’s frontrunner in Applied Psychology, counselling and coaching education, with an unwavering vision of a healed, empowered and healthy South Africa. Critical to this has been the strategic growth of its national footprint, which has seen the opening of a fourth physical campus in Durban, the first graduates from the Pretoria campus and an impressive doubling of the number of graduates from its Online campus. This year’s graduation event also marked the first graduates of SACAP’s professional programmes; the four-year, inclusive of Honours, Bachelor of Psychology degree, as well as the Bachelor of Psychology equivalent programme.

SACAP Managing Director, Zerina Royeppen noted that, “Each one of the graduates has travelled a powerful journey at SACAP, undergoing personal transformation that has empowered them to think differently about themselves and others. Our Work Integrated Learning experience is one of a kind, and provides SACAP students with the sharpest learning curves as they put knowledge and skills into practice to activate resources and impact on positive social change.”

14 students received the Academic Dean’s Award for achieving the highest academic standards in their respective programmes:

Johannesburg

Claire Dawn Sutherland - Higher Certificate in Counselling and Communication Skills
Cayley Paige Jorgensen - Bachelor of Social Sciences Honours (Psychology) [BPsych Equivalent Programme]

Cape Town

Cherie Knaap - Higher Certificate in Counselling and Communication Skills
Judith Weis - Advanced Certificate in Counselling and Communication Skills
Penelope Skirving - Diploma in Counselling and Communication Skills
Imran Adams - Bachelor of Applied Social Science
Savannah Paola Brogneri - Bachelor of Psychology
Ella Bust - Bachelor of Social Science Honours (Psychology)
Meredith Kate Mckenzie Forbes - Bachelor of Social Science Honours (BPsych Equivalent Programme)

Pretoria

Sumaya Lawrence - Higher Certificate in Counselling and Communication Skills

Online

Candice Schaal - Higher Certificate in Counselling and Communication Skills
Samantha Heald - Diploma in Counselling and Communication Skills
Brigitte Irmgard Buss - Bachelor of Applied Social Science

In his graduation address, SACAP’s Academic Dean, Dr Ashley Smyth likened the college to an oyster and its educational offering to the irritant that creates pearls. “Education at its best is an irritant,” he told the graduates, “Education challenges you to respond. All real learning causes a reaction – an ongoing process of absorption and inclusion that brings growth through a series of developmental stages. Such a reaction to the irritant of learning grows you, develops you, changes you and transforms you.”

Through its expansion of physical campuses, the phenomenal growth of its Online campus and its variety of highly relevant study programmes, SACAP aims to play a positive role to boost South Africa’s mental health workforce. Its person-centred learning environments and rigorous, praxis-oriented curricula unleash the excellence of highly qualified practitioners, who have the knowledge, skills and experience to promote and support lasting, positive social change across South African communities.