Looking back now on the year, I am so proud of everything that the Australasian College of Health and Wellness has achieved in 2023.
One of our largest projects was a major refresh and update of our Learning Management System. At this point, we have completely redesigned 12 of the 24 units of study that we offer. The new system provides a better experience for our students with a greater focus on interactive content and engaging media. The remaining 12 units will be updated shortly into 2024.
This year our students successfully completed a total of 2,011 units of study, gaining vital and advanced knowledge of clinical aesthetics.
We were also very excited to launch the Industry Newcomers Scholarship. This is our first scholarship for our range of Undergraduate Certificates, which provides $500 in tuition support for those eligible. It is a pleasure to be able to help ambitious and deserving people access higher education at any level.
In 2023, we were fortunate enough to be able to award a total of 127 new scholarships. We will be following the journeys of these students with particular interest.
One of our latest favourite success stories is that of Sarah, Helen, and Lisa, the experts behind the Skin and More podcast. This podcast is for clinical aestheticians, skin experts and anyone and everyone who is into the cosmetics and beauty industry, and we are proud to host the work of our former students and facilitators on our website.
The Australasian College of Health and Wellness launched our own brand of products for use in the clinics our students gain practical, hands-on experience in. This is a professional range that was formulated by Christopher Apostolou, one of our expert facilitators, and includes such items as cleansers, medical grade peels, and post-care for more intensive treatments like Plasma and Laser.
We ran a total of 228 clinics across Australia in 2023 and are proud of the 4.6/5 overall satisfaction score that we received.
And finally, we were blessed to end our year with three amazing graduation events in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. We work in education to help people grow and succeed, so there are few things more rewarding than seeing our students accepting their degrees in front of their friends and families.
ACHW is incredibly proud of the 157 students who successfully completed their study in 2023.
2024 is just around the corner and we are excited for another year to help the next generation of dermal therapists and aestheticians achieve their career goals.
One of the key factors contributing to the ageing process is the shortening of telomeres. Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of our DNA strands that prevent them from fraying or sticking to each other. Over time, as our cells divide, telomeres naturally shorten, and this is considered a normal part of the ageing process. However, chronic stress has been found to accelerate telomere shortening, leading to premature cellular ageing. This can have a significant impact on our overall health and appearance.
When we experience stress, our bodies release stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones are designed to help us cope with immediate threats or challenges by increasing our alertness and energy levels. However, chronic stress can result in an overproduction of these hormones, which can have detrimental effects on our health. Prolonged exposure to high levels of cortisol, for example, has been linked to increased inflammation, impaired immune function, and accelerated ageing.
While stress can certainly take a toll on our bodies, research has shown that our ability to regulate our emotions and exercise self-control plays a crucial role in mitigating the negative effects of stress on ageing. Individuals with higher levels of emotional resilience and self-control tend to age more gracefully and experience better overall health outcomes. By managing stress effectively and adopting healthy coping mechanisms, we can potentially slow down the ageing process and improve our well-being.
