Proactive coping involves individuals developing resources to facilitate their promotion toward personal growth. The aim of this study was to determine whether differences occurred in the use of a proactive coping style between students from various Southern African countries and universities, in order to form cross-cultural comparisons for this construct. The Proactive Coping Inventory (PCI) was electronically distributed to collect the empirical data, with purposeful non-probability sampling being employed. The sample consisted of 622 students from three universities, one each in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. Eleven hypotheses were set for investigation. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in the emergence of two distinct factors in the PCI, implying two separate subscales. A statistically significant relationship was found between proactive coping and both instrumental and emotional support seeking. A small, practically significant gender difference was discovered for emotional support seeking, and moderate differences were found between age and proactive coping. Southern African university students exhibit higher levels of proactive coping than preventative coping, strategic planning or emotional support seeking. Furthermore, they make use of proactive coping to a greater extent than individuals outside of the Southern Africa region. In terms of national and institutional culture, no statistically significant differences occurred for proactive coping between any of the countries or universities under study. These findings imply that regardless of a Southern African student's home country or university, he or she is likely to cope proactively. A possible explanation is because Africans generally value social support systems and collectivism, which assist individuals in coping proactively. These results also suggest that all three universities under study are effectively encouraging students to cope in a proactive manner, whether formally or informally, which is in line with the values of these institutions. It is recommended that Southern African universities focus more intentionally on becoming positive socialising systems through integrating the development of human strengths, thus enhancing the value that students and society gain from tertiary education. These findings add to the current body of knowledge relating to proactive coping, which is lacking in a Southern African context.

Finding Sundays: A Collection of Stories is a collection that explores the lives of people in the fictional town of Hickory Springs, Virginia. The title story "Finding Sundays" follows the life of Deacon Taylor and connects him to the characters around him in the proceeding pieces. These stories explore the lives of Deacon, his family, and his childhood friend, Sandra. The focus of this collection is not meant to be about spirituality or religion in general, although these exist as themes in the background of the stories. Instead, it is meant to look at how the lives of people connected through a church and a small town setting can affect them and lead them on different paths through the choices they make. Their personal struggles and challenges help them to either discover who they are or lose a piece of themselves in the process, which is especially true for Deacon. He is the character who appears as a child, as an adolescent, and as an adult. Self-discovery is not always peaceful or satisfying for him or any of the characters around him, and their individual journeys show this process and the different events that come from the choices they make. This collection focuses on how religious roots, friendships, and familial connections, or the lack of such bonds, affect the characters' own personal views and decisions as well as how they relate to those around them