The HBCULeadership in Education Awareness and Preparation (HBCU LEAP) Mentoring Program recently awarded scholarships to two South Carolina State University counseling graduate students.
Nicole Galashaw Sabari and April Thomas each received the $9,000 Pre-Career Footsteps Mentoring Corps (PCFMC) scholarship for the 2024-2025 academic year. The PCFMC is the flagship program of HBCU LEAP, an initiative housed in the HBCU Center for Excellence in Behavioral Health at Clark Atlanta University and funded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
The HBCU LEAP team received competitive applications from students nominated and enrolled in various behavioral health graduate and training programs at 13 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
The funding opportunity is for graduate counseling students during the academic year they are enrolled in practicum or internship.
“I am proud to announce to the SC State University community these nominated students were selected for an exemplary resume, high graduate grade point average, letter of recommendation and clear motivation and commitment to becoming leaders in their professions,” said Dr. Antoinette Hollis, an assistant professor of counselor education in SC State’s Department of Human Services.
SC State school counseling graduate students work with youths to address academic, career, and social/ emotional development concerns. Rehabilitation counseling graduate students work in agencies with mental health and disability-related challenges.
Sabari is a master’s degree candidate enrolled in
the Counselor Education Program.
“I chose this school and this program because I believe in the foundation that SC State provides in preparing students for academic and professional success,” Sabari said. “The professors are amazing, and I appreciate the way they dedicate themselves to creating an authentic learning experience for all students.”
She said she humbled and excited to be selected for the HBCU LEAP Mentoring Program.
“It is an honor to represent SC State while pursuing an opportunity to apply what I am learning through the Counselor Education Program, which supports the importance of behavioral sciences with an emphasis on the balance between health and wellness,” Sabari said. “I also value the chance to collaborate and network with mentors
