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Scholarship program opens doors
Davenport | 13
Macomb County executive touts continuing education as a way to propel career
Macomb County chief deputy executive and Davenport University graduate Mark Deldin did not take a traditional path to secure a college degree. Rather, his route took him down various roads and through numerous twists and turns, eventually landing him at Davenport University. “It’s important to follow your passion,” said Deldin. “It’s easy to say it’ll take too long or I’m too old. Time is going to pass anyway. What really is eight years out of 20?” Deldin grew up in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, one of six kids. His parents married at a young age and didn’t have the opportunity to attend college. Deldin explains, “It wasn’t a focus back then like it is today.”
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Upon graduating from high school, Deldin found a job with Lake Shore Public Schools as a school custodian. The position provided great health and retirement benefits, but after 12 years he'd already hit his salary threshold. He started looking around and saw opportunities in K-12 education. Interestingly, he found you did not need a college education to become a mid-level school administrator. You simply needed the right qualities and experience and a proven ability to deliver.
Deldin continued to climb the professional ladder, serving as a maintenance director at the Oak Park School District. He also served as director of facilities management at Chippewa Valley Schools in Clinton Township and was involved with the construction of several new schools in their rapidly growing district. While he excelled professionally during this time, he found what propelled him forward was his ability to build relationships and deal positively with people. But he soon realized that a college degree could open up more doors.
Deldin found that through Davenport University’s Detroit College of Business he was eligible for a Pell Grant to pursue his bachelor’s degree, traditionally a fouryear program. To supplement the grant he applied for a loan. "We can't afford not to take this loan," he told his wife. From 1987 to 1998 Deldin took classes part-time each semester without any breaks while raising his young family. He developed a plan to achieve his goal, and he hit his stride around year seven of taking classes. Each Sunday afternoon he would do his homework for the upcoming week. This allowed him to have free time to spend with his family. “At 42, my kids and I were doing homework together,” said Deldin. “They saw that dad was doing it the hard way. Four years of education can make a difference — it's a lot easier to start your education from day one.” In 1998 he achieved his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Davenport.
“It’s never too late to earn a degree.”
“When going through a pool of applicants, a BA is preferred. I had a ton of experience, but I didn't have a degree," Deldin shared. He kept seeing commercials for Davenport’s Detroit College of Business and called to learn more.
Above: Deldin, serving as school custodian at Lake Shore Public Schools, 1985.
