SBSA graduation ceremony Kristy Naiken wins President’s Cup |28 August 2021
Kristy Naiken, President’s Cup winner (Photo: Vidya Gappy)
One hundred and twenty-six (126) students have graduated from the Seychelles Business Studies Academy (SBSA).
The graduation ceremony was held virtually yesterday morning where Kristy Naiken clinched the prestigious President’s Cup and 11 other students received awards for being best in their respective courses.
This year 38 graduates who completed their studies on a part-time basis at the SBSA also graduated – 8 received certificates for having completed the Association of Accounting Technician courses at Foundation Certificate and Advanced Diploma levels; 9 received their certificates after completing the Basic Training in QuickBooks Accounting Software; 16 received their certificate in Office Administration and 5 received certificates after successfully going through the process of Recognition of prior learning.
Seychelles NATION contacted Kristy Naiken by phone and she was elated after winning the President’s Cup.
“I gave my best and through devotion, hard work and sacrifices, today my efforts have been rewarded. If you focus on what you are supposed to do, nothing is impossible. I did my primary school at Anse Boileau and S1 at Anse Boileau. Then I moved to Independent School. My dream was always to pursue my studies in business management and administration as I want to follow in the footsteps of my mum who is a human resource manager. The pandemic did not really affect our studies per se but our work attachment was disturbed. But we finally did it. This journey has been quite hectic for my friends and myself but we did it together. This is only the beginning for me and there is a lot more to come.”
Kristy Naiken received a laptop sponsored by the Office of the President, a scholarship letter for further studies from ANHRD plus other prizes sponsored by ACM & Associates and Fidelity Corporate Services.
The other award recipients for the 2020 cohort are:
Tracey Gilbert (Best Effort in Diploma in Accounting and Finance)
Kiera Hoarau (Best Effort in Diploma in Business Management and Administration)
Eddy Margueritte (Most Outstanding Performer in AAT Foundation Certificate in Accounting)
Agnes Dubel (Most Outstanding Performer in AAT Advanced Diploma in Accounting)
Suzy Prempeh-Marimba (Most Outstanding Performer in Certificate in Office Administration)
Kimberley Hoarau (Most Outstanding Performer in Diploma in Business Management and Administration)
Janice Florine (Most Outstanding Performer in Diploma in Accounting and Finance).
The AAT Award is bestowed on the Diploma in Accounting and Finance graduate who has excelled academically in all the AAT external exams and it went to Janice Florine.
The City & Guilds Award was won by Shamin Vidot who has performed exceptionally well in the Diploma in Business Management and Administration external exams.
SBSA Governing Board Award was won by Virginie Thomas who has demonstrated outstanding contribution by being an exceptional ambassador to the academy.
The graduates were awarded their certificates/diplomas after completing the following courses: Basic Training in QuickBooks Accounting Software; AAT Foundation Certificate in Accounting; AAT Advanced Diploma in Accounting; Certificate in Office administration; Certificate in Business Administration; Certificate in Accounting; Advanced Certificate in Accounting; Advanced Certificate in Business Management & Administration; Diploma in Accounting and Finance and Diploma in Business Management and Administration.
The director of SBSA, Josianne Bristol, congratulated all the graduates, noting that despite the ongoing pandemic, they all thrived.
“2020 started off as a typical academic year but then Covid-19 reared its ugly head and you had to pack up and go back home. But we couldn't allow Covid-19 to disrupt this important chapter of your life, so we had to devise ways to ensure your learning continued. On top of our existing learning management system, IFNOSS, lecturers started to explore new avenues: WhatsApp Learning groups, YouTube videos, zoom or Google meet sessions started seeing an entry as new teaching methods. The academy thrived in adopting these new teaching methods with blended learning helping us meet the requirements of our programmes while keeping to health guidelines of having limited number of learners on campus,” Ms Bristol said.
She also thanked Cable and Wireless who offered good packages to the teachers and students.
Despite the pandemic, Ms Bristol shared that SBSA managed to develop two new programmes: A Diploma in Human Resource Management and a Certificate in Administrative Skills, which were both given the official seal of validation by the Seychelles Qualifications Authority in 2020 and offered for the first time this year. These two new programmes helped the academy respond to a request made to take on more S5 leavers in 2021; thus SBSA enrolled 152 S5 leavers this year compared to 83 last year – an increase of 83%.
Another positive note for the school is that SBSA keeps having their graduates back to support them including teaching work.
“Last year we appointed one new graduate as an assistant lecturer and this year we have appointed two more graduates as assistant lecturers and another SBSA graduate who also completed her first degree in Mauritius, as a lecturer. Thank you dear alumni for seeing the need to support us in what we do,” said Ms Bristol.
To conclude, Ms Bristol proudly noted that over 50% of the academy’s full-time graduates have secured employment; one graduate has started his own business and 47% of graduates have attained the required grades to access further studies under the scholarship scheme, although only 37% have already applied for further studies, mainly with UniSey.
“Our graduation, further studies and employment figures have not changed for this cohort from figures of previous years despite all the challenges faced; certainly cause for celebration!” concluded Ms Bristol.
All graduates will collect their certificates and prizes at the school at a later date.
Vidya Gappy
