If you ask Michele Robinson how she became one of Detroit’s most trusted leaders in housing services, she’ll tell you it wasn’t part of any grand plan. Raised in a blue-collar Detroit household and the first in her family to attend college, Michele was used to finding her own way. She once jokingly called herself a “professional college student,” attending various schools without a clear direction. Everything changed during the Great Recession, when Michele lost her job and started volunteering at her church. Coordinating Thanksgiving food drives and mobilizing volunteers nationwide to feed hundreds of families in Detroit sparked something inside her. It also prepared Michele for the unexpected opportunity that arrived in early 2010, a piece of mail from Baker College promoting a Certified Addictions Counselor program.
What seemed like junk mail turned out to be the turning point of her life. Encouraged by a voice inside that said, Just call; she reached out. This call led her to pursue a degree in Human Services. With no computer or internet at home, she spent entire days on campus, studying in the library and forming a tight community with classmates who took the same courses, shared group projects, and supported one another. For the first time, Michele felt a sense of clarity and belonging.
Her experiences at Baker refined her path. As an undergrad, her internship with the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan placed Michele in charge of summer programming for children. It was her first test in applying theory to real life. She quickly realized that while she loved serving families, certain parts of the work required boundaries, emotional resilience, and self-awareness. That internship taught her what she wanted to lean into, and what would challenge her in the human services field.
Around the same time, she took a bold leap and joined AmeriCorps. Serving vulnerable residents across Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, Michele went door-to-door helping families access resources, built relationships in communities she had never visited before, and learned the realities of frontline service. That year of service didn’t just give her experience; it ignited her passion for systems-level change and set the course for the next decade of her career.
Her growth continued at Baker, as she pursued a Master of Science in Industrial & Organizational Psychology. During her program, Michele traveled to Houston for the SIOP (Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology) Conference, where she met professionals doing the work she dreamed of, organizational leaders, psychologists, and industry experts whose insights shaped how she would later lead teams. This was the first time she’d seen herself reflected in a professional setting.
Interning, serving with AmeriCorps, attending SIOP, and her education prepared Michele for the work she does today. As Director of Detroit Housing Services, Michele now oversees nearly 100 staff members responsible for helping residents experiencing homelessness, eviction, building fires, and other emergencies. Her days are unpredictable, ranging from meetings with elected officials, rapid-response efforts at burned or vacated buildings, strategic planning, budget oversight, and supporting staff who provide high-touch, concierge-style case management. Despite the challenges, Michele finds joy in mentoring emerging leaders and advocating for vulnerable Detroiters.
Her career looked nothing like the one she’d imagined when she enrolled at Baker. Yet every step, every class, every service year, every internship revealed a new piece of the path she was meant to follow. Baker’s transparency, real-world instruction, and emphasis on staying current gave Michele tools that still guide her leadership today.
Her advice to future students is simple and heartfelt: ask questions, find mentors, know your “why,” and take internships seriously. Begin your career transition long before graduation, and don’t underestimate the power of volunteering to build experience and confidence. And above all, be intentional.
If there’s one message Michele hopes others take from her story, it’s that it is never too late to pursue education, or to rediscover your purpose. One unexpected piece of mail set Michele on a path that led to multiple degrees, a career she loves, and a leadership role making a tangible impact in the city of Detroit. And she wouldn’t change a thing.
To discover more about the Master of Science in Industrial & Organizational Psychology program that helped Michele excel in her career, and other social science degree options, explore our College of Social Sciences degree programs today.