Michael Sorrell, President, Paul Quinn College
In an interview Invest:, President Michael Sorrell of Paul Quinn College highlighted the institution’s mission to reimagine higher education following a $20 million anonymous gift. He emphasized financial sustainability through the Urban Work College model and entrepreneurial training, aiming to build systems that help students and communities thrive. “Our aim isn’t just to educate students; it’s to transform lives.”
How will recent major donations to the college help further your vision for Paul Quinn College?
In 2024, we received a $20 million anonymous gift to the college, $1.5 million for on-campus housing and $10 million was added to our endowment. What you’re seeing is a growing recognition of the work we’re doing at Paul Quinn. People have always rallied around Paul Quinn, but I think they’re beginning to better understand the value and significance of what we’re building. Our aim isn’t just to be a typical institution of higher education. We are reimagining what American education can look like, making it live up to its promise for all Americans.
Too often, higher education falls short of this ideal. At Paul Quinn, we believe colleges can be more than places that educate enrolled students. They can transform communities, cities, and states. And they can do it in ways that make education more accessible and impactful for others.
We live in a time when too many people are focused on themselves — on what they want or get out of life. That’s not when America is at its best. Paul Quinn is built on a belief that we can do more, be better, and aspire to something greater, not just for ourselves, but for others.
How does Paul Quinn’s model help students, and their families achieve financial sustainability and, ultimately, generational wealth?
We start by helping people understand they deserve generational wealth. So many have been led to believe that struggle is a permanent condition. We reject that idea. Struggle is a phase; a step you move through to reach something better. That belief is fundamental to what we do.
We also minimize the need for debt because the money people spend paying off loans is money they can’t use to invest in their futures. At Paul Quinn, students receive four types of education. First, they gain subject-matter expertise in their chosen majors. Second, they get experiential learning through our work program, which allows students to work 15 to 20 hours per week in jobs that pay between $13,000 and $18,000 for the academic year. Third, they earn industry-recognized credentials through our PQCX program, which offers short-term courses in areas like sales, Microsoft Office, and data science. Finally, every Paul Quinn student is an entrepreneur. Starting next year, every graduate will be required to launch a business before they leave the college.
There’s a common saying that education cures poverty, but that’s not entirely true. Money cures poverty. We’re focused on showing our students pathways to earning more and creating sustainable financial success.
What are some major trends you’re seeing in higher education, and how is Paul Quinn addressing them?
We don’t think in terms of trends to follow. Instead, we focus on needs that must be addressed, which often leads us to create trends. For example, we developed the Urban Work College model because we saw too many students working dead-end jobs to make ends meet while going to school. That system wasn’t helping them succeed academically or financially, so we built a model that takes those pressures off their shoulders by integrating meaningful work experiences into their education.
We’re also adopting K–12 school districts because we recognize the importance of starting earlier in students’ educational journeys. I think this is something we’ll see more institutions doing in the future. Beyond that, there’s a real frustration with higher education. People feel they’re not getting their money’s worth, and I understand that. As an industry, higher education hasn’t always behaved responsibly, and we need to listen to what people are telling us. At Paul Quinn, we take that feedback seriously, and it shapes the way we approach our mission.
What are your top priorities for the next two to three years, and how do you see Paul Quinn’s role as a community player in education?
We’re planning to expand by building more campuses and forming additional partnerships with K–12 school districts. We’ll continue refining our Urban Work College model to ensure it delivers the best possible outcomes for our students. I also know my voice matters in this space, and I don’t take that lightly.
As long as people are struggling to live free of scarcity, I’ll believe there’s more we can do. At Paul Quinn, we’re committed to pushing boundaries and setting an example for what higher education can be. We want to build systems that help people move out of struggle and into lives of stability and opportunity.
