Student, John B. Ervin Scholars Program, Washington University in St. Louis: “Pamay led a session on religious diversity at my university, and I truly enjoyed it.  It was wonderful to hear how she thoughtfully engaged with faith communities different from her own, and I also appreciated the time to think through how I can be a better advocate for social justice as it pertains to religion.  Additionally, her 52-week journey seems to be a great model for self-exploration (whether one is looking to adopt another faith or not), and has sparked a lot of personal reflection.”

Entrepreneur, Selena Cuffe, CEO of Heritage Link Brands, mentioned My 52 Weeks of Worship in an INC article titled: How Tragedy Made Me an Entrepreneur. Here is what she said about My 52 Weeks of Worship: I was recently inspired by a spiritual memoir by Pamay Bassey that deals with adversity and transformation, My 52 Weeks of Worship: Lessons from a Global, Spiritual, Interfaith Journey. The author, when faced with multiple tragedies in her life, turned her loss into an intriguing opportunity for self-reflection and personal growth. Her decision to take a year to visit a different place of worship every week, crossing the globe and an array of religious traditions, was courageous. The lessons she learned, fascinating. But what truly resonated with me was that as an entrepreneur, she balanced this spiritual journey while simultaneously running several businesses. Read the rest of the article to see the four lessons that she pulled from My 52 Weeks of Worship about getting through adversity.

Students in my Introduction to the Counseling Profession course had the distinct honor of hearing Pamay present on My 52 Weeks of Worship,specifically at the point when we were studying multicultural considerations in Counseling. Often the class discussion of this topic settles mostly on race, sometimes on gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other cultural attributes but rarely on religion or spirituality. Pamay’s presentation, though the focus was on religion and spirituality, seamlessly sparked conversation in the class, even after she left, about multiple aspects of culture and identity. Class discussion was not only rich in the moment but many students reflected later on, through blogging and ongoing comments, about their own personal reactions to Pamay and how My 52 Weeks of Worship will help them to keenly consider all aspects of future clients’ cultural identities, including aspects of religion and spirituality.

-Erin Mason, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, DePaul University, Chicago, IL.

There is nothing quite like hearing (Pamay Bassey’s) story straight from her lips. Her telling captures how a season of personal loss and struggle was eclipsed by her discovery of God in the most unlikely locales, and how this discovery continues to enlighten her human experience. There is something for all to hear and learn from her story.

-Rev. Neichelle Guidry Jones, Ordained elder in the Kingdom Council of Christian Churches and Ministries; Associate Pastor to Young Adults, Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, Illinois

I was really inspired by Pamay’s 52 Weeks of Worship and her open minded approach on religion. As someone who has eliminated religion from their life, I am afraid that I haven’t had the most open perspective on religion. To hear that she went into these places with as little bias as possible with no agenda whatsoever was so encouraging. Her story was so peaceful that it really helped ease my fears about counseling those with different beliefs than I do. If she can do it then why can’t I?

-Student, Introduction to the Counseling Profession course, DePaul University, Chicago, IL

In 2011 I asked (Pamay Bassey) to give a presentation to B.D.P.A. Chicago on very short notice. She delivered a very engaging and well thought out program that covered her expertise in e-learning instruction and design, and which also touched on her 52 Weeks of Worship Project. Pamay is skilled in improvisation, which really helps her to generate ideas quickly and work well within a team. My experience with Pamay has been that she is very capable and dependable. I look forward to partnering with her on business projects in the future.”

Martin Brown, Director of Programs, Black Data Processing Association (BDPA) Chicago

I invited Pamay to an introductory graduate counseling course I teach at DePaul University to speak about her experiences. The subject that evening focused on multicultural counseling and diversity, so her visit to class was perfectly aligned with our focus. As she described her journey, it was clear the students were in for a rich educational experience that weaved in many of the topics they had read about for the class. The class and I could tell that Pamay’s openness to deepening her spirituality and learning about others’ took turns unexpected, and yet her welcoming of the unexpected was, for us, one of the greatest gifts she offered us. The class was clearly touched by her presentation and her complex understanding of the various ways we seek connection through religion and community. I heard from many of my students how moved they were by Pamay’s journey and how validated they felt as they related to many aspects of it. I will definitely be inviting Pamay back to my class in the future.

Joy S. Whitman, Ph.D.; Associate Professor, Counseling Program, DePaul University, Chicago, IL

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