Paul Quinn College has been awarded a $1.5 million grant to increase on-campus housing and build a mixed-use development for students and the surrounding Highland Hills community.
The new housing model will expand student housing capacity at the historically Black college and includes plans for retail and restaurant spaces, parks, outdoor meeting areas, and classrooms.
Paul Quinn President Michael Sorrell said this is a mission to create educational and economic opportunities for students and underserved communities.
“We want to build a community for them,” he said, “that says we see you, we respect you, and we want to make life better for you.”
The grant comes from the T.D. Jakes Foundation and Wells Fargo. The initiative will serve not only Paul Quinn students, but it will also provide tiny homes for families in the area.
“Just because your income level may only have one comma doesn't mean you can't have a two-comma lifestyle,” Sorrell said.
With the city’s cooperation, Sorrell hopes to start construction by this summer.
Paul Quinn College has ongoing collaborations with both the T.D. Jakes Foundation and Wells Fargo. The bank has supported the college’s Corporate Work Program, which offers students real world job experience and scholarships. It has also contributed to an emergency housing fund for students in need.
Paul Quinn recently launched its first graduate program — a faith-based MBA for future business leaders — through a partnership with the Jakes Divinity School. Sorrell said the program bolsters the college’s commitment to education and economic mobility.
“We have always known that we needed to be an anchor to that redevelopment,” Sorrell said.
Zara Amaechi is KERA’s Marjorie Welch Fitts Louis fellow covering race and social justice. Got a tip? Email Zara at zamaechi@kera.org. You can follow her on X @amaechizara.
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