Jessica Tyrrell

Jessica Tyrrell (36) from South Africa is pursuing a master’s degree in anthropology at the University of Cape Town.

Jessica grew up in South Africa during the Apartheid years. She is white but her progressive parents did not choose to educate her in white only schools. Her early school years were spent in a religious setting with diverse students. Her parents raised her to understand and appreciate the interconnection of the world and how everyone in society plays a role. This key understanding about society was enhanced by her outdoors lifestyle and visits to remote areas of South Africa.

She earned a B.A. in social work at University of Stellenbosch. She worked in several organizations all the while tying psychology to her social work. Her focus has been to expose young people to the outdoors by supporting their shift in perspective and helping them appreciate the value of natural and social diversity in their lives. Jessica primarily works with young people ages 14-24. The by-product of her work is building self-confidence, skills development and self-trust in the young individuals.

In addition, Jessica has taken a keen interest in mentoring young women who come through the program. She works to support them emotionally and psychologically as they go through life hurdles. Mainly, she trains them to build resilience which helps them maintain mental balance and fight against stress. Jessica believes that there is lacking in understanding and research of mental health and its affect on mental well-being. She is motivated on developing techniques to help young people develop skills to maintain mental health.

Through the wilderness immersion program, Jessica has created support network of social workers who are alumni of the program. She believes this creates a culture of giving back and women benefit from other women who are their role models. One of her goals after completing her M.A. is to expand the youth programs into community programs led by past participants thus creating a “pay-it-forward” mentorship framework.

Samantha Adams

Samantha Adams (31), is pursuing a master’s degree in rehabilitation at the University of Stellenbosch.

Samantha grew up in South Africa during a tough political time period. Both her parents worked hard to support Samantha and her two bothers. Her childhood was a happy one and her involvement with her Christian faith was a big part of her upbringing. Samantha knew she had to find employment in order to support her family, so she started working part-time after secondary school.

During this period, she found inspiration for occupational therapy. This interest came about when she interacted with a friend’s mother who attended an arts and crafts group. This group consisted of older people some of who were disabled. Samantha soon found that she was particularly interested in helping people with disabilities have access to equal opportunities in society.

After receiving her bachelor’s in occupational therapy, Samantha pursued a diploma in disability studies. She was motivated by the aspirations of people with disabilities and their desire to live normal lives. She also realized from her experiences and during her program that women are usually the main caregivers to disabled people. This understanding further motivated Samantha to help create avenues and collaborative platforms for caregivers to turn for resources. Her current study aims to create a social integration system that is currently lacking, particularly in employment services for people with disabilities.

Nina Callaghan

Nina Callaghan (42), is pursuing a master’s degree in sustainable development at the University of Stellenbosch.

Nina was born at the end of South Africa’s Apartheid period. Even though she was much too young to have understood it fully, she became aware of the challenges of being black in South Africa. Growing up, her father taught her about race and politics and his lessons shaped her own vision for the future.

Nina’s commitment to women and children is clear. She has spent many years working for the Children’s Radio Foundation (CFR). The foundation uses radio to share information, create dialogue, advocate and build community outreach for children and young adults. Important issues such as school bullying and sexual health issues are discussed through radio where serious and helpful conversations take place between community members. Nina believes in providing children a platform to voice their concerns and debate their opinions in a safe yet productive environment. This is especially beneficial for the young people that come from under-served communities.

Another organization that is close to her heart is Mothertongue. Nina volunteered there for several years. While there, she learned the importance of community building and support for farming and other land-based workers. This is critical to women and children who deal with social issues such as gender violence, inequality and substance abuse in rural areas. Through this organization, Nina helps women climb out of poverty and indentured service, something that still exists in farms in rural areas.

After graduation, Nina plans to continue the important work of building open and safe places for women to share and improve their social circumstances while sustaining their livelihoods. She aspires to provide hope, education and power to women so they may improve their lives and the community around them.