Two SC State counseling graduate students awarded HBCU LEAP Mentoring scholarships
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
recommendations 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 who
are willing to share their knowledge, expertise, and the guidance that is so needed
in my pursuit of counseling as a second career.”
Thomas is a master’s degree candidate in SC State’s Rehabilitation Counseling Program. She also is director of operations and community development at the James E. Clyburn
Scholarship & Research Foundation and a board member at the Samaritan House. She said
those roles have deepened her dedication to community service.
With a background in English and a current internship at the South Carolina Vocational
Rehabilitation Department, Thomas is eager to leverage the skills and knowledge she
gains through the HBCU LEAP program.
“I am deeply honored to have been selected as a participant in the HBCU L.E.A.P. Program
at Clark Atlanta University,” Thomas said. “This opportunity aligns perfectly with
my commitment to advancing the field of mental and behavioral health and supporting
underserved communities.
“I am excited to collaborate with fellow leaders to make a lasting impact in the behavioral
health field,” she said.
During the 2024-2025 academic year, the graduate students will be required to:
• Conduct two 20-minute presentations on behavioral health related topics to
a group of ten or more undergraduates that attend HBCUs.
• Meet with an assigned mentor at least twice during the academic year.
• Attend virtual professional development webinars.
• Create content for the HBCU LEAP social media/digital platforms.
• Submit required documentation of activities.
Hollis said the scholarship is evidence of the SC State Department of Human Services’
impact in preparing graduate students for success in counseling and addressing needs
across underserved communities.
For more information about SC State’s Counselor Education Program, email Dr. Antoinette
Hollis at ahollis4@scsu.edu.. For more information about the Rehabilitation Counseling Program, email Dr. Bridget
Hollis Staten at bhollis@scsu.edu..