A 39-year veteran of the Detroit Police Department (DPD), Lt. Young was in the first cohort of Cleary University’s Pathway to Completion accelerated degree program, designed specifically for first responders who wanted to earn a degree while balancing work and family life. Through Cleary, adult learners in the DPD could earn a degree in as little as 12 months. Classes take place at Cleary’s Detroit location in the Durfee Innovation Center one evening a week; all other classes are conducted online.Lt. Young obtained a bachelor’s degree in business administration at the age of 50 and was awarded Cleary’s Business Innovation Award. One year later, he walked across the Cleary stage at commencement to receive his master’s degree, Magna Cum Laude. He also received the Graduate Student Leadership Award and served as a speaker at graduation.

He will return to the commencement stage again this year to accept an honorary doctorate degree. “Cleary changed my life,” he announces with pride. “Cleary is my Harvard. I have been offered jobs across the country since earning my degrees at Cleary. I plan to stay exactly where I am and use what I have learned from Cleary for other opportunities within the DPD. Cleary has given me options, opportunities, and possibilities, and I share this same message with my colleagues who may be hesitant about returning to school,” he points out.

Lt. Young’s investment in Cleary runs deep. Two years ago, he accepted a position as an adjunct professor with the school and teaches a variety of classes for first responders. “I will continue to motivate others to get their degree from Cleary,” he asserts with passion, which is Lt. Young’s trademark. “Just take one day at a time. It takes fortitude, energy, and discipline, but you can do it,” he encourages others.

“Influence, hope, purpose, vision, relationships … these are attributes of a great leader,” he announced during his speech at commencement three years ago. “Cleary helped me, and my fellow police officers, gain a better understanding of the importance of relationships, and for bringing vision into our lives. I received a life-changing opportunity at Cleary; it is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Cleary has allowed me to be the best I can be, to discover the possibilities life has to offer. I represent heroes, but the real hero is Cleary University’s founder, who gave us all a reason to be Cleary proud,” he said to his fellow graduates. “The school has motivated me and inspired me to be a better person and law enforcement officer. I am honored and blessed to receive this honorary doctorate degree.”

In addition to his role as a Lieutenant with the Detroit Police Department and an adjunct professor for Cleary, Lt. Young is president of the Detroit Police Lieutenants and Sergeants Association, and Vice President of the Associate Membership at Large for the National Association of Police Organizations. He received the 2024 Spirit of Detroit Award and the 2023 Men of Excellence Award from the Michigan Chronicle. Five years ago, Cleary University established the Pathways to Completion accelerated degree program in partnership with the Detroit Police Department. The first graduating class consisted of 100 DPD students. To date, a total of 693 members of the DPD have earned a degree from Cleary University.

The Pathways to Completion program was initially designed specifically for members of the DPD. It has since grown to include all first responders across Michigan, as well as Ohio, Wisconsin, and Arizona. More than 1,500 individuals have benefited from this degree program.