PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (October 23, 2020) – When Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) Ph.D. candidate Bequita Pegram began researching “High Achiever Syndrome” and the challenges high achievers encounter, she saw an opportunity to help women overcome these potential setbacks.
“Many high achievers suffer from anxiety, burnout, and depression in their quest to accomplish academic and occupation success. To address these issues, [specifically] in African American women in higher education, I thought mentoring would provide a social support network to help these women pursue their purpose and goals,” Pegram said.
So, Pegram launched the Onyx Mentoring program this year at PVAMU. In the chapter’s inaugural cohort, ten first-year and two sophomore students are participating as mentees. They meet with mentors, who are PVAMU graduate students, one-on-one every week via phone or video. The mentors, who go through a training program of their own, address their mentees’ concerns, celebrate “wins,” and provide support. The entire group comes together monthly for “Onyx Circle,” an opportunity for group sharing and mentoring.
“The common thread in their reason for joining Onyx was to find a support system to help them through different college experiences. These women appreciate the value of having someone to encourage, listen, and guide them through an exciting chapter in their lives,” Pegram said.
Pegram developed the core of the program, including its five pillars of purpose – perseverance, innovation, faith, community service, and social justice, through participation in an educational technology seminar with Lisa K. Thompson, Ph.D., in PVAMU’s Educational Leadership & Counseling Department.
“From the onset of meeting Bequita in my educational technology seminar, she consistently modeled a fierce pursuit of excellence in everything that she endeavors – both inside and outside of the classroom,” Thompson said.
“We have mentees from California, Louisiana, Tennessee, Washington State, and various cities in Texas [partaking in PVAMU’s chapter]. So far, the overall response has been positive” Pegram said.
As part of the yearlong mentorship program, mentees spend the fall semester learning targeted skills that address four areas of wellness: spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical. In the spring semester, they put those skills to use in their everyday lives. In the near future, Pegram hopes to expand the program to other college campuses.
“Bequita has a passion for learning, coupled with a desire to leave this world better than she found it, which resonates in noteworthy, meaningful endeavors like this one. I have no doubt that after Mrs. Pegram completes her Ph.D., she will blaze a new trail, leading by example, and most certainly lifting as she continues to climb,” Thompson said.
More information on Pegram’s Onyx Mentoring can be found at https://sites.google.com/view/onyx-mentoring.
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By Jocelyn Kerr