Lina trades UL for the University of California Los Angeles
Lina Sebolaisi Takalo is in the US for a three-month research internship based at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) after receiving a Tirisano academic scholarship.
POLOKWANE – Takalo who was born and bred at Ga-Lekgothoane, Ga-Molepo is a PhD nursing science student at the University of Limpopo. She registered in 2018 after her now supervisor Tebogo Maria Mothiba told her about Tirisano scholarship which supports students who have interests in mental health.
Tirisano is a five-year training programme, from 2015 to 2020 that prepares post-baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral students and early career mental health professionals to conduct research on substance abuse, depression, chronic stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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It is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health in the United States, the training is an international collaboration between University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), South African universities and research institutions, including the University of Cape Town, the University of Stellenbosch, the Human Sciences Research Council and North West University.
“Professor Mothiba encouraged me to register as a student with the University of Limpopo so that I will be legible to apply for the scholarship, which I did. I applied for the scholarship in February 2018 and she guided me through the process. In April 2018, I received a message that I had received the scholarship,” she explained.
In preparation for the scholarship, she attended a Tirisano track B workshop in Johannesburg where she learned the basics of research. She is currently at UCLA attending a track A workshop which is a 3 months intensive workshop. The Tirisano scholarship will continue mentoring her through her Phd work for 2 years.
She arrived in the US on 22 March and she will be there until 22 June. ” It’ s like a mini holiday for me though I am here for academic purposes. The people here are lovely. Maybe it’s because of internet and movies that gives you an idea where you are going before you go there but everything looks the same,” she said.
She will be doing research in chronic stress, substance abuse, depression and PTSD. “I will be able to conduct different types of research, collecting of different types of data, interpreting and communicating the findings. I will have an opportunity to interact with the people who has the same interests as I have in the area of mental health and substance abuse. I will be able to develop and implement a programme that will support parents of children abusing substances in selected public hospital which the nurses can use the support the parents while helping their children out of substance abuse,” she said.
She encouraged other students to believe in themselves because when you put God first, everything is possible. “Young people must stop doing drugs and go to school. They must respect their parents. They must make use of every opportunity that present itself to them. I thank God for the grace in my life. I thank Professor TM Mothiba for creating opportunities for me. I thank my family and friends for the support they give me always,” she said.
