LIFESTYLE NEWS: Esteemed Philadelphia native Saqqara Lewis defies rash of odds, fulfills her lofty dream of spearheading a rising mental health therapy organization
Andre Johnson 
She considers a field before she buys or accepts it — expanding her business prudently — with her profits, she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard. (Proverbs 31:16 Amplified Bible)
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Saqqara Lewis certainly paid attention to what was unfolding in her community.
Now, she is destined to make an enormous difference in ways unimaginable.
An accomplished retail sales representative, Lewis is a rising entrepreneur, one who oversees a mental health therapy organization that has become a fixture for customarily targeting minorities, particularly those who cannot find affordable therapy in underserved communities.
A business she established just last year, Lewis, 25, emphasized, among other things, her competitive drive for spearheading a mental health therapy organization comes amid the rash of obstacles that surfaced in her community in inner city Philadelphia.
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“I saw first-hand that many people that looked like me and that live in the same community as me were suffering from mental wounds that they struggled to be able to heal,” Lewis told Making Headline News during a recent interview. “Many of these people struggle with abuse, poverty, and a lack of resources to get them where they would like to be in life. Because of this, many people look down on themselves which causes them to feel stagnant in their positions.”
While Lewis’ featured business endeavor is in its infancy stages, she doesn’t shy away from the notion that she is taking the essential steps to fulfill the divine purpose for which she was created.
“I have always had a passion for it, but I didn’t have any guidance or direction to getting started,” Lewis told MHN. “I was inspired by my family. I watched so many of my family members and people who were close to me struggle with mental issues. I have always wanted to make a change. My parents and grandparents always pushed me to follow what I wanted to do.”
To her credit, Lewis has positioned herself mightily to be able to function fervently in her divine element.
A graduate of Philadelphia’s George Washington High School of Engineering and Science — she amassed a cumulative grade point average of 3.8 — Lewis subsequently enrolled at an area community college.
Currently, she is enrolled at American Intercontinental University, where is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Health Care Management with a specialization in Health Services Administration.
As for the sustained success she’s acquired since delving into entrepreneurship, Lewis said:
“What I like the most is that I will be able to provide adequate therapy to people around me that are struggling. Growing up, I saw my own family deal with different mental issues such as depression, anxiety and even schizophrenia. Seeing my loved ones go through things like this and not be able to find resources to help was difficult.”
Lewis’ newly-erected mental health therapy organization services mostly youth and young adults.
“This (organization) is very important to me because I, too, was struggling mentally for a very long time,” Lewis said. “I searched high and low to find a therapist who was affordable, who understood me, looked like me, and engaged me. It wasn’t until I was 23 years old and on the verge of a mental breakdown and feeling like I’m losing it all that I was able to find someone that could assist me. A simple Google search did me no justice.”
And the rest, as they say, was history.
Today, Lewis can greatly attest to the notion that entrepreneurial dreams can become a reality when the necessary work is invested.
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When asked why it is imperative to esteem and inspire others daily, Lewis said:
“Because I am a black girl who was lost at one point. I am a black girl who didn’t have anyone or anywhere to turn to. I am a black girl who was underserved and lacked resources to be able to get the therapy that I personally needed. I am a black girl who saw myself in successful positions but didn’t believe in myself due to my circumstances.”
Nevertheless, she is destined to make an enormous difference in ways unimaginable.
Mission accomplished.
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Andre Johnson is the award-winning Founder and Publisher for Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former staff reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, send email to makingheadlinenews@gmail.com or to memphisgraduate@yahoo.com. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist or Instagram at @makingheadlinenews.
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