Black Enterprise Magazine honors Baker College business dean

(WJBK) - Dr. Cleamon Moorer Jr. dedicated his life to education, both in earning his own degrees and now helping others write their own success stories.

Now the dean of Baker College in Clinton Township has a new title - Mr. Higher Learning.

"The whole notion that anything is possible - I've realized that notion, that anything is certainly possible," he said.

Dr. Moorer, 40, is the dean of the College of Business at Baker College, and now is he one of 100 modern men of distinction in Black Enterprise Magazine.

It's a national honor highlighting those who are accomplished and continue to give back in their communities.

Thousands of people across the country are nominated, but only 100 are honored.

Moorer is a proud Detroit native.

"I would tell a young Detroiter to look at me - my zip code, 48227. If you look at the various zip codes and start to plot the tracks that many individuals started from and where they ended up, they will be able to see themselves," he said.

This story in particular is one that went from failure to success.

"How can I impact? How can I inspire? I think through sharing my story of going from being a college flunk out and actually returning as a professor at that very same institution that I flunked out of, it serves impotice for others to say, I think I can do that too," Dr. Moorer said.

That process in between prepared him to become an educator.

"I learned to ask for help in the event that I needed. I learned that I don't have to be heroic and rescue my own self out of certain situations. I learned that it's OK to have a gap between my real state and my ideal state," he said.

Now, Dr. Moorer is back home sharing his knowledge to the next generation.

"To have traveled all around the world. I've taught in the Czech Republic, I've taught in various places in Asia. But to be able to round it out and come back home. You know, come back home and be a leader, be a dean of an institution that has such a great presence as Baker is a tremendous honor," he said.

With this honor, comes a new name Dr. Moorer will be known by in Black Enterprise Magazine.

"Mr. Higher Learning being a Detroit native is very special," he said.

Dr. Moorer has received other honors in the past. He will travel to Florida later next month with his family to receive this most recent one.