Boeing electrician graduates from Widener University while balancing Black youth nonprofit

A Boeing aircraft electrician is celebrating a major milestone after years of balancing work, family responsibilities and a long academic journey.

Delorean Andrews, 42, graduated magna cum laude from Widener University on Tuesday after first enrolling more than a decade ago. After years of hard work, Andrews earned a bachelor's degree in organizational development and leadership.

"Once I really got focused, I wanted to finish what I started," Delorean Andrews said. "I'm a man of finishing what I start."

His college path included interruptions along the way, including financial struggles and the loss of his father in 2019, which forced him to step away from college for five years. Delorean Andrews eventually returned to the Chester university determined to complete his degree and advance his career.

"He's had an interesting journey and life has had its challenges," his wife Desiree Andrews said. "To watch him work through every single one of those, it's inspired me to be able to do more, dream bigger and achieve my goals."

Delorean Andrews said earning his bachelor's is a key step toward moving into a management role at Boeing.

"Being an older gentleman, I wanted to be in a traditional class setting, but online has been phenomenal," he said.

Alongside his full-time job and coursework, Delorean Andrews is also a father, a published author, and the founder of Release the Brakes. The nonprofit provides mentorship and introductory flight experiences for Black youth interested in aviation.

Inspired by the famed Tuskegee Airmen, Andrews earned his pilot's license and hopes to expose young people to opportunities in aviation that he said he never had growing up.

"I have this motto of outwork everyone," Delorean Andrews said. "Then once you start to see success, it's addictive."

Delorean Andrews is already planning his next step: pursuing a master's degree, which he expects to complete later this year.

He said his journey is about more than personal achievement, hoping it encourages others to keep going even after setbacks.

"The sky is not the limit," Delorean Andrews said.