The Divine 99 Ball Celebrates African American Excellence

The Divine 99 Ball, an event chaired by celebrity Mental Health Therapist, Terence McPhaul, is being billed as “the social event of the season.” Being held April 29, 2006, the black-tie gala, an extension of The Divine 99 Mentoring Program, is a celebration of those students fortunate enough to be chosen for this honor. The program is designed for Clark Atlanta University students.

In an effort to increase not only the number of successful African American college graduates, but to enhance their level of success, The Divine 99 Mentoring Program pairs successful professionals, business owners and other community leaders with graduating African American college students who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence. Unlike other corporate mentoring programs, “we believe that it is very beneficial to our Mentees to have Mentors who are not completely enveloped by any one corporate culture, but rather someone who has been successful at various levels-and who can teach eager minds how to adapt in alternating business climates,” says McPhaul.

99 students are selected from the pool of approximately 900 prospective graduates. Students must apply for consideration, and the applications are scrutinized and scored based on academics and leadership potential.

Formed by the 1988 consolidation of Clark College (founded 1869) and Atlanta University (founded 1865) CAU is a Historically Black University recognized for its tradition of innovation and excellence. A few of its notable graduates include James Weldon Johnson, Carl Ware, Judge Horace T. Ward, Robert Abernathy, Marva Collins, Jerri DeVard and Pearl Cleage.

In addition to being Founder and Executive Director of The Divine 99 Mentoring Program, Terence McPhaul, an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Clark Atlanta University, is the founder and director of McPhaul Consultants and Personal Advisors, the first, and only, agency in the world providing counseling, therapy, life coaching and personal advisor services exclusively for celebrities. McPhaul is the author of The Celebrity Psyche, Managing Success and Celebrity and The Psychology of Hip Hop. Before returning to school to earn a graduate degree in Counseling Psychology, McPhaul was a Hazardous Materials Chemist. McPhaul has appeared on
The Tavis Smiley Show, Court TV, and The O’Reilly Factor.