Henry Ford College alumnus donates $30,000 for student leadership program

Henry Ford College alumnus Joe Stevens has donated $30,000 to the Joe Stevens Leadership Development Fellowship Program. The program was initiated in 2023 and gives Detroit Promise students, who receive a tuition-free associate degree after graduating from a Detroit high school, the opportunity for more hands-on learning experiences, mentorships, and leadership experiences to help them continue on the road to success.

According to an article on Henry Ford College’s website,  Dr. Shai James-Boyd, who serves as the Assistant Director of Advancement at Henry Ford College, was quoted as saying of Stevens’ Joe Stevens Leadership Development Fellowship, "I am pleased that Mr. Stevens has partnered with the Foundation to offer a select group of our brightest Detroit Promise scholars with leadership and professional experiences that will help shape the foundation of their academic careers. His commitment ensures that students from the greater Detroit area who seek to better themselves receive real-world experiences and opportunities to succeed, which is one of the many reasons HFC is regarded as one of the state's leading community colleges.”

Stevens graduated from Henry Ford College himself, receiving an associate degree in general science. After graduating, he transferred to UM-Dearborn to earn a bachelor degree in experimental biology. His brothers, who attended college at the same time as he did, also graduated from Henry Ford College and moved on to UM-Dearborn. Speaking of this progression of his education, Stevens said, “I received an excellent education at HFC. I took a combination of business and science classes. HFC prepared me well for UM-Dearborn.”

The Joe Stevens Leadership Development Fellowship Program takes three Detroit Promise students and gives them even more opportunities that will lead to their success, both academically and in their careers after graduation. As part of the fellowship program, these students will spend their spring break partaking in various events and activities that will help them further develop in terms of academics, professionalism, and leadership.

Detroit Promise coaches will work with the students to develop their career goals and help them find internship opportunities to help put them on the road to achieving those goals. Students will also be assisted through resume development, mock interviews, networking opportunities, budgeting, professionalism training, and understanding workplace etiquette. The idea of the program is that by helping students with these soft skills, they will be more likely to continue their education and succeed academically, giving them the ability to succeed in their careers and futures.

Explaining why he set up the program, Stevens said, “I’ve been fortunate in my life with my financial endeavors. This is an opportunity for my wife, Carol, and me to give back to the community. I believe students in some of these underserved areas aren’t getting an opportunity to complete their college education, often for financial reasons. I feel it’s important to help them out. This is an area that needs help and, fortunately, I’m in a position to do that.”

Stevens went on to further explain how he helps students complete their education. He said, “I had the opportunity to do business with several charter schools in some of the most underserved areas of Detroit. I was impressed with the operation and success of these schools. I was later approached by the University of Michigan-Dearborn to assist students out of charter schools to further their education. We enlisted HFC to be part of it, to be a stepping stone out of high school. If these students completed an associate degree at HFC, UM-Dearborn would then accept them. I wanted both HFC and UM-Dearborn to be involved because it was the exact education I received, and it was a good one. I thought it would be a logical step for these students complete their associate degree at HFC and their bachelor’s degree at UM-Dearborn,”

Detroit Promise was founded in 2016 and is a program in which the City of Detroit will pay for tuition for an associate degree or technical certificate for any student who graduates from a Detroit high school. Henry Ford College has been participating in the Detroit Promise program since it began and according to its website, more than 600 Detroit Promise students currently attend Henry Ford College.

For more information about Henry Ford College, visit the school’s website.