Owning the Unknown: A Conversation with DRDFS Scholar Joseph Emmanuel

When 17-year-old Joseph Emmanuel stepped onto the stage at the Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars’ (DRDFS) 12th Annual Celebration Luncheon, he felt a buzz of energy in the room.

It was a full house at the University of Detroit Mercy with educators, supporters, and community leaders all there to celebrate. Cameras were pointed his way. He was the featured scholar speaker, standing at the podium, script in hand.

As he started sharing about his goals, his journey, and the culture that shaped him, the nerves faded and something deeper took hold.

“I felt empowered,” he said, thinking back. “Everyone was listening. My words meant something.”

Joseph is a senior at Henry Ford II High School in Sterling Heights and part of the DRDFS Next Level Scholars program. He’s also proudly Chaldean American — a core part of who he is and a big part of the story he brought to the stage that day.

“Being Chaldean means a lot to me. It’s about holding onto traditions, honoring my family, and knowing I’m part of something bigger,” he said. “Getting to share that during the event made it even more special.”

Joseph’s story is one of discovery. He’s planning to attend Wayne State University in the fall, and while he’s leaning toward engineering, that decision didn’t come overnight. It came from years of little moments — building things, messing with computers, spending hours with LEGO sets, just figuring out how things work.

That thoughtful, curious spirit was front and center during his speech. He talked about what it’s like to be on the edge of a new chapter, and how it takes courage to step into the unknown.

Part of that courage, he says, came from being in the Next Level Scholars program.

“DRDFS helped me slow down and think ahead,” Joseph told us. “They encouraged us to imagine ourselves ten years from now. To think about the financial side of things, the emotional side. To ask what kind of life we want to build.”

Through college visits, hands-on workshops and one-on-one coaching, Joseph started making choices with more intention. He picked up practical skills like how to budget, how to carry himself professionally, and how to speak in front of a crowd.

“I never thought I’d be up there speaking in front of hundreds of people,” he said. “But DRDFS helped me build that confidence. That was huge for me.”

The Celebration Luncheon also gave him a chance to connect with business leaders and DRDFS supporters. One of those people was Bob Riney, President & CEO of Henry Ford Health, who delivered the keynote. Talking with him gave Joseph a new perspective.

“When you meet people like that, you realize they started somewhere, too,” he said. “They were kids once. They had to figure things out just like we do.”

That idea kept coming up in Joseph’s speech — how growth isn’t always neat or easy. Joseph said one of the most powerful things DRDFS gave him was the space to figure things out, try new things, and learn along the way.

And the growth hasn’t just been academic. Through DRDFS, Joseph has stretched himself in other ways — meeting new people, seeing new places, and learning from mentors.

“Every time I met someone new or saw something I hadn’t seen before, it stuck with me,” he said.

As he looks ahead, Joseph is most excited about the person he’s becoming. Not just what he studies or where he works, but what he learns about himself. If he could go back and give his sophomore-year self a little advice, it would be this:

“Listen more. Ask questions. Look forward, not back,” he said. “That’s how you figure out who you are.”

At DRDFS, no two journeys are the same. But what ties scholars like Joseph together is a shared sense of purpose — a determination to explore what’s possible and to make their own choices.

As Joseph reminded everyone in the room that day: “The world keeps moving whether you’re ready or not. So keep going. The choice is yours.”