Op-Ed: Unlocking Detroit’s talent requires access to education options 

Detroit is a city full of people whose potential has too often gone unrealized. 

For decades, the narrative has focused on what Detroit has been through. But what matters just as much, if not more, is what’s been overlooked: the momentum already building, and what’s possible if it’s fully supported. 

This is a city where brilliance exists in every neighborhood. You can see that clearly in the lives of Detroiters themselves. Nkosi Mason’s story is one example.

After losing multiple family members in a short period of time, navigating chronic illness and undergoing several major surgeries — one of which nearly cost him his life — Nkosi’s path was anything but linear. When his school closed unexpectedly, his education was put on hold. At one point, survival had to come before any long-term goals.

But his experience reflects something we see across Detroit every day: people with the determination to keep going, even when the path forward isn’t clear.

Years later, with support from family and access to a more flexible model, Nkosi returned. While working full-time, he completed both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in a single year. There came a point where he had to choose between attending his grandfather’s funeral and walking at his own graduation. Reflecting on how best to honor his grandfather’s legacy, he chose to walk — to finish what he started.

His journey is personal. But it’s far from rare.

Across Detroit, we both work with learners — many of them working adults, many of them Black men — who are balancing jobs, caregiving responsibilities and financial pressures while trying to pursue an education. Some are navigating housing instability. Many are the first in their families to take this step. And too often, they’ve received the message, directly or indirectly, that higher education wasn’t built with them in mind. In many ways, that message is reinforced by the system itself.

Traditional higher education models often rely on rigid schedules, high costs and structures that assume students can put the rest of their lives on pause. For working adults, that simply isn’t realistic. From a workforce perspective, that’s a missed opportunity not just for individuals, but for employers and entire communities. Businesses across Detroit and Michigan are searching for skilled, motivated employees. At the same time, there are thousands of residents ready to grow, contribute and lead, if given the chance.

Bridging that gap requires rethinking what opportunity actually looks like.

It means creating education and training pathways that are flexible enough to fit into real lives, affordable enough to be within reach, and relevant enough to connect directly to career outcomes. It also means recognizing that learning happens in many forms — not just in classrooms — and that experience, discipline and resilience should count.

When those conditions are in place, the impact is immediate. Adults in their 30s, 40s and 50s are able to return to school and complete degrees on timelines that match their effort and ability. People who once questioned whether education was “worth it” begin to see new doors open: higher earnings, career mobility and greater stability for their families.

Just as importantly, something shifts internally. People start to see themselves differently. The limits they once felt begin to move.

That’s where representation and mentorship matter. In his role, Nkosi works closely with Black men navigating higher education, many of whom have never had someone in their corner, let alone someone who has walked a similar path. When learners can see what’s possible through someone else’s experience, the idea of success becomes tangible. It becomes real.

Detroit is uniquely positioned to lead in this moment—not just for itself, but for the state of Michigan. As industries evolve and workforce demands change — for example, as the automotive sector shifts toward electric and advanced mobility — the future of the region will depend on how effectively we invest in adult learners who are already part of our communities and economy.

There is no single “right” way to pursue education. For many Detroiters, the right path is the one that works; one that fits alongside a job, a family and the unexpected challenges life can bring. Potential isn’t defined by circumstance, but access often is. And that’s the piece we can change.

Detroit doesn’t need empty narratives about resilience. It needs systems that recognize and unlock the talent that has been there all along. If we get that right, the city won’t just be an example of recovery. It will be a model for how to turn unrealized potential into lasting opportunity, across Michigan and beyond.

Alison Bell is Regional Vice President for Western Governors University’s Central Region and Chancellor of WGU Indiana. A higher education leader with more than two decades of experience, she focuses on expanding access to flexible, career-aligned degree pathways for working adults and underserved learners across the Midwest. She previously served as Director of Degree Completion at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis and holds a B.A. from Indiana University and an M.A. in higher education administration from Ball State University. 

Nkosi Mason is a Detroit professional, mentor, and advocate for expanding higher education access among working adults and Black men pursuing degrees. A first-generation college graduate, he mentors emerging professionals while working to help others overcome barriers to degree completion and career mobility. Mason recently earned both a bachelor’s degree and MBA while balancing work and personal challenges, and he continues to pursue further graduate study.