Three Students in Occupational Therapy Discipline Graduate with Highest Honours

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Three students graduated with their Bachelor in Occupational Therapy degrees summa cum laude.

They were Ms Tarryn Carey, Ms Michaela Stead and Ms Ilhaam Hoosen.

Carey is proud and relieved her perseverance and hard work of the past four years have been so richly rewarded. ‘I feel blessed to have been a part of the excellent study process and now a recipient of this fantastic degree.’

Carey says studying Occupational Therapy was challenging. ‘It took serious dedication to make it through all the theory and practical aspects the degree throws at you. I think the only way I survived was ensuring I had time to myself when I needed it and got as much sleep as the degree would allow. Also friends and family were a huge support and motivator when you think you can’t carry on!’

It was not all plain sailing, however. Carey says she was home-schooled and due to unforeseen complications her final examination papers got lost and she was thus unable to obtain her matric. This meant she had to go out and work before rewriting all her exams.

After completing her matric and choosing to study Occupational Therapy, she discovered she needed to improve her maths mark to gain access to university. She then had to spend another year doing that before finally being accepted into the Occupational Therapy programme… with a scholarship which she was so grateful for!

‘My passion for the degree and also for the people I was working with served as a huge source of strength in addition to family, friends and an amazing fiancé who supported me all the way.

‘Four years later I am qualified despite the fact that six years prior I was about to give up on education completely.’

Said Stead: ‘The biggest challenge to overcome was my own self-doubt, thinking that I wasn’t good enough to complete this degree. But through the strength of God and support of others, I was encouraged to never give up and always try my best. I had to believe in myself.’

Stead aims to do her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy, but is still unsure what to specialise in. She also wants to spend a few years travelling overseas.

‘I found this degree extremely challenging overall-it took good time management, self-discipline and hard work to get through. The degree involves practical work at various venues - I found this difficult as I was dealing with real people with real problems in real situations. I decided to take it one day at a time and tried to maintain a balanced lifestyle.

‘I found the Occupational Therapy lecturers really knowledgeable and supportive throughout the four years of study,’ said Stead.

Hoosen, who is currently doing her community services at  1 Military Hospital in Pretoria, says she is enjoying her chosen field although spending hours at the hospital with real life cases is emotionally draining at times.

Eternally grateful to her family, peers and her husband, Uzair Ismail, who rally behind her all the time, Hoosen hopes to pursue her master’s degree after completing her community service.

Lihle Sosibo