This study explored the educational journeys of 17 Black Ph.D. students who attended a large, public Predominantly White Institution (PWI) of higher education in the Midwestern United States. At the time of data collection, each participant was enrolled in one of five different Ph.D. academic programs in the university's Education College (EU). The specific focus of this research was to explore the mentoring experiences of Black Ph.D. students and how these experiences, if at all, contributed to their success. Success was defined as graduating and/or achieving their career goals. Two research questions were used to explore this specific focus. These research questions were: What are the mentoring experiences of Black Ph.D. students who attend a PWI? And, how do mentoring relationships, if at all, contribute to the academic and professional success of Black Ph.D. students at a PWI? Utilizing an adapted hermeneutic phenomenological approach (Van Manen, 2014) and theory of intersectionality (Collins, 1986; Crenshaw, 1989), three semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with each participant for a total of 51 interviews. An online demographics questionnaire and document analysis were also used to gather specific details about students' identities and degree program requirements. A series of key characteristics (power dynamic, empathy, accountability, and wholeness), present across participant descriptions of mentorship, emerged from an in-depth analysis of interview data. These characteristics contributed to the development of three styles of mentoring (business-oriented, relationship-oriented, and egalitarian) and are represented within all three styles. Findings of this study indicate: (1) Black Ph.D. students are not a monolithic group; (2) The mentorship experience is defined by the unique interactions of its participants; and (3) Mentorship can contribute to lasting joy and/or lasting pain. This study concludes with research and practice implications for higher education faculty/administrators who seek to improve the persistence as well as holistic success of Black Ph.D. students at PWIs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]