WSU partnership helps Detroit students build futures in tech

Recent WSU graduate Joseph Nguyen (top, in striped shirt and eyeglasses) helps mentor students from Detroit Denby High as part of a collaboration between Wayne State and non-profit group Life Remodeled

Three afternoons a week, Joseph Nguyen traded Wayne State University's classrooms for one at Detroit's Denby High School.

Instead of fretting over his own assignments, the graphic design senior stood at the front of the room explaining typography, color theory and visual storytelling to a small group of Denby students whose shared love of esports brought them together after school.

Denby students edited highlight videos, created graphics and kickstarted dreams of future careers in tech as part of the Furture Firsts program.

By the end of the semester, those lessons became something larger than graphic design.

As students edited highlight videos, created graphics and began to imagine futures in technology, digital media and design, Nguyen discovered that some of the most meaningful lessons of his Wayne State education happened not on campus but while mentoring students just a few miles away.

"I am always inspired by these students," Nguyen said. "They're so motivated, respectful and willing to learn."

Nguyen's experience is exactly what WSU aimed to cultivate through its partnership with Detroit nonprofit Life Remodeled.

Together, the organizations are expanding opportunities for Detroit students through Future Firsts, an initiative that combines scholastic esports, technology education, and college and career exploration. The program introduces Detroit Public Schools Community District students to careers in technology while giving Wayne State students opportunities to apply their education through mentorship and community engagement.

Students enjoyed an eight-week curriculum that introduced them to design fundamentals and key applications, such as Canva and CapCut.

For Yosefu Abayomi, program coordinator for the Multicultural Professional Readiness Education Program (MPREP) at Wayne State's Mike Ilitch School of Business, the collaboration helps bring the university's mission to life.

"As a native of Detroit and a graduate of Detroit Public Schools and Wayne State University, I believe initiatives like this demonstrate a strong commitment to the city and its residents," Abayomi said, who helped cultivate the partnership with Life Remodeled.

Creating educational pathways has defined much of Abayomi's career. And that commitment found a natural collaborator in Life Remodeled.

"I admire Life Remodeled's commitment to revitalizing and enhancing Detroit's neighborhoods and families," Abayomi said. ""A key focus of my previous roles has been to create pathways for Detroiters to enhance their opportunities. I was excited to return to Wayne State University at the Mike Ilitch School of Business to pursue this goal in more impactful ways that align with my professional and personal aspirations.

"My work has centered on promoting justice and equity for families in Detroit and similar communities."

Future Firsts, he said, advances the missions of both WSU and Life Remodeled.

Yosefu Abayomi, program coordinator for the Multicultural Professional Readiness Education Program at Wayne State's Mike Ilitch School of Business, helped forge the partnership between Life Remodeled and WSU that led to the university's particpation in Future Firsts.

"I believe that the Future Firsts program - which prepares students to become innovators and professionals in the technology field through scholastic esports, tech education and immersive college and career exploration - could create lasting mutual benefits for our respective efforts," said Abayomi.

Life Remodeled created Future Firsts to help young people discover that the skills they develop through gaming can translate into careers in one of the nation's fastest-growing industries.

"Future Firsts brings Life Remodeled's mission into the rapidly growing technology industry," said Jenna Savage, the program's manager. "We believe every young person deserves access to the tools, experiences and mentors that can prepare them for college and careers, regardless of their ZIP code."

For Savage, esports represents the starting point.

"The program isn't just about playing games," she said. "It's about using students' interests as a gateway to careers in technology, media, design, engineering and beyond."

Wayne State has become one of the program's most valuable collaborators by providing mentors whose experiences feel both inspiring and attainable.

"Our partnership with Wayne State University has been instrumental in expanding the educational opportunities we can offer students," Savage explained. "Wayne State has provided student mentors with relevant expertise and meaningful connections that expose our participants to college environments and creative career pathways."

She said students benefit from learning alongside mentors who are only a few years older and are already pursuing careers they hope to enter themselves.

"These partnerships allow our students to learn from people who are currently pursuing careers in fields they aspire to enter, making higher education and professional careers feel more accessible," said Savage.

Nguyen was one of those mentors.

A metro Detroit native, Nguyen chose Wayne State because of its nationally respected graphic design program and its location close to home. Faculty members regularly share internships and professional opportunities with students, and one email about Future Firsts immediately caught his attention because it blended two of his passions.

Nguyen (center, front row) said students' confidence grew as the program continued: "These students...were always so motivated and smart and willing to learn."

"The program was looking for people interested in esports but also graphic design," Nguyen said. "And that's kind of a niche thing.

"I jumped at the chance."

Working with five to seven Denby students, Nguyen built an eight-week curriculum introducing design fundamentals including typography, color theory, layout, workflow and creative thinking. Students used Canva and CapCut to create graphics, edit videos and produce social media content supporting the school's esports teams.

As their confidence grew, so did their ambitions.

"These students that were in the esports and tech club were always so motivated and smart and willing to learn," Nguyen said. "They were learning coding every week. They were competitively playing video games. They were learning graphic design."

One of the graduating seniors Nguyen mentored earned a college scholarship to compete in Fortnite - a reminder that what begins as an after-school activity can become a pathway to higher education.

For Wayne State, those moments illustrate why partnerships like Future Firsts matter. Students like Nguyen graduate with more than technical skills; they leave with experience applying their education in Detroitneighborhoods while helping younger students shape futures of their own.

For Life Remodeled, the collaboration demonstrates what's possible when universities like WSU and community organizations invest in one another.

"The collaboration has strengthened our ability to provide authentic, career-connected learning experiences," Savage said. "Students gain exposure to college students and their experiences, build relationships with mentors and develop skills that extend beyond the classroom."

As the partnership enters its next phase, Abayomi said he looks forward to continuing the work with Life Remodeled's new leadership.

For Nguyen, the hope is much simpler.

He wants to return to Denby to continue working with his teen charges.

"The students have kind of been pestering Jenna and asking if I would come back, so it's always nice to hear," Nguyen said with a chuckle. "And I do have the opportunity to come back in the fall when programming starts up again to teach the students - and I honestly would love to do that."

Because somewhere between teaching design principles and watching students discover new possibilities for themselves, the Wayne State graduate found that mentorship can change more than the people being mentored.

It can transform mentors, too.