When Detroit native Onjila Odeneal stepped into her new role as the first-ever chief executive officer of Detroit Promise on October 1, it symbolized much more than a career milestone. For Odeneal, it marked a defining moment for a city determined to make higher education a reality for all its young people.
Her appointment arrives as Detroit Promise, the city’s tuition-free scholarship program, officially transitions into an independent organization after more than a decade of transformative work. Since its founding in 2013, the program has provided more than 6,000 Detroit high school graduates with the opportunity to attend college or trade school without the barrier of tuition.
For countless families, it has been a bridge between potential and possibility.
The transition toward self-governance began in late 2022, when Detroit Promise started shifting from administration under the Detroit Regional Chamber to independent oversight through the Detroit Promise Zone Authority Board. The appointment of a CEO, a first in the program’s history, represents the next step in ensuring long-term sustainability and growth.
“Onjila is uniquely positioned to lead Detroit Promise into its next chapter,” said Dr. Iris Taylor, chair of the Detroit Promise Board of Directors. “She brings not only a deep understanding of the education landscape, but also her lived experience as a Detroiter who has walked the path many of our students are on today.”
That lived experience is what makes Odeneal’s leadership particularly resonant in Detroit. A first-generation college graduate herself, she understands the complex realities of navigating higher education while confronting systemic inequities that often discourage or derail young Detroiters before they reach graduation.
Odeneal brings more than 15 years of experience in higher education, youth development, and statewide advocacy, much of it focused on equity, access, and student success. Most recently, she served as senior director of policy and advocacy for The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS), where she worked to secure historic financial aid investments and built coalitions that prioritized student perspectives in Michigan’s higher education policy.
Before that, she served as acting executive director and deputy director of the Detroit College Access Network (DCAN), a key player in connecting Detroit students to postsecondary pathways. Her background also includes leadership roles in financial aid administration and nonprofit consulting, giving her a comprehensive view of how systems can either support or stall student progress.
As CEO, Odeneal’s focus will be to strengthen the organization’s infrastructure and expand its reach increasing awareness among Detroit’s middle and high school students, deepening relationships with colleges and employers, and building wraparound support to improve completion and career outcomes.
“I am honored to lead an organization that has transformed the lives of so many Detroit students and families,” Odeneal said. “Detroit Promise has opened doors for thousands of young people, but we know that our work is not finished until students graduate with the skills and credentials to thrive in their careers and communities.”
Today, Detroit Promise serves students from 50 high schools across the city and partners with 32 colleges and universities throughout Michigan. The program operates with support from the Michigan Educational Excellence Foundation (MEEF) and the Detroit Regional Chamber, which helped establish and grow the initiative into one of the most comprehensive local tuition-free programs in the nation.
Under Odeneal’s leadership, Detroit Promise’s independence signals a shift toward long-term sustainability — one rooted in Detroit governance and Detroit vision. Becoming a stand-alone organization allows it to adapt faster, partner more deeply, and design programs that meet the evolving needs of Detroit’s students, particularly as the city continues to navigate post-pandemic learning gaps and economic uncertainty.
For many Detroit families, the impact of Detroit Promise extends far beyond financial relief. Nearly 73 percent of Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) students are considered economically disadvantaged, and almost all qualify for free breakfast and lunch through the federal Community Eligibility Provision.
The Promise program helps offset those realities by removing tuition costs entirely for eligible graduates ensuring that access to higher education isn’t determined by a family’s income.
The need for programs like Detroit Promise remains urgent.
Although DPSCD has seen gradual academic improvement, proficiency rates remain far below statewide averages. According to the latest data, only 12.9 percent of third graders in DPSCD tested proficient in reading last year, compared to 39 percent statewide. For Odeneal, those numbers reinforce the critical importance of early exposure to college access programs and sustained mentorship throughout the student journey.
Access means more than a scholarship. It means support, guidance, and connection. It means showing our students that their zip code does not define their ceiling.
“I am committed to ensuring that every student in Detroit sees higher education not only as possible, but achievable,” said Odeneal.
The organization’s next phase will center on partnership — between K–12 schools, higher education institutions, employers, and community organizations. Odeneal envisions an expanded support network where Detroit Promise becomes not just a bridge to college, but a pipeline to careers that keep Detroit talent in Detroit.
Odeneal’s appointment also comes at a time of renewed state and national attention to higher education affordability. Michigan has taken steps to expand financial aid through programs like Michigan Achievement Scholarships, but local initiatives such as Detroit Promise remain critical for addressing the specific challenges faced by city students — particularly those balancing economic hardship with the rising costs of education.
Since its inception, Detroit Promise has functioned as a partnership among multiple institutions working toward a single mission: making higher education accessible for all Detroiters. Now, as an independent organization led by a Detroiter who has lived the journey herself, it enters a phase defined by accountability, innovation, and expansion.
For Odeneal, the message to Detroit’s youth is simple: the path to success starts right where they are.
