Michael Carsley, ‘88, has spent three decades now as a successful business owner.

 

Yet, when he looks back at the reason for his success, he returns to his De La Salle Collegiate roots and the faculty, particularly the Christian Brothers, who challenged him to think critically and outside the box.

 

For Carsley, De La Salle was far more than just where he spent his high school years. In fact, it was where he established his work ethic, discipline, and intellectual curiosity – all of which guided him through both his most troubling circumstances and greatest achievements.

 

One of his earliest realizations about the power of a Christ-centered, Lasallian education at DLS came during his freshman year at Michigan State University. In his college chemistry course, he quickly noticed something familiar: The textbook being used was the same as the one he had studied in his sophomore chemistry class, taught by Bro. Xavier Pankovits, FSC, '60.

Bro. Xavier – affectionately known as “Brother X” – was a fixture in the school’s science department for four-plus decades, and was widely respected for his tough, but fair, treatment of his students, like Carsley.

 

While many of his classmates at MSU struggled to keep up with the course material, Carsley possessed a strong grasp of it because of Bro. Xavier.

 

“I walked into that class confident, prepared, and honestly a little relieved,” Carsley expressed. “That's when it hit me: De La Salle wasn't just preparing us to graduate high school – it was preparing us to compete at the next level.”

That experience validated what he would come to appreciate even more as time passed: The rigor at De La Salle – both inside and outside the classroom – prepares students not only for college, but also for the game of life.

Bro. Tom Lackey, FSC, ‘65, also made a profound impact on Carsley, who was taught the art of critical thinking by the beloved former DLS administrator.

“He didn't just teach a subject,” Carsley said. “He taught me how to think.”

 

Bro. Tom constantly challenged students to dig deeper, ask questions, and closely examine the facts before reaching verdicts. This lesson has since guided Carsley in both his personal and professional life.

 

“He taught me not to take things as gospel truth just because they were written down or spoken by someone in authority,” Carsley explained. “He wanted us to understand, not memorize. To analyze, not regurgitate.”

That mindset has shaped both his career and his life. Carsley credits De La Salle for teaching him how to navigate challenges and make sound decisions — including the best one he ever made: asking Karen to marry him. They celebrate 25 years this June, and he says she continues to be his greatest source of strength, inspiring him to be a better man, husband, and leader. He jokes that she’s put up with him so long he once considered surprising her with a shirt that read, "I suffer from PMS — Putting up with Mike’s Stuff."

 

His passion for technology began long before it became his career, too. As a sophomore at De La Salle, Carsley built his first computer.

Using an XTclass motherboard with an Intel 8088 processor, dual 5.25-inch floppy drives, and a Zuckerboard RAM expansion card, he assembled the machine piece by piece — configuring IRQs, memory addresses, and DIP switches by hand to bring the system to life.

 

Constructing the PC required troubleshooting hardware issues and overcoming technical challenges that modern plug-and-play systems have largely rendered obsolete.

“It was primitive by today's standards, but at the time, it felt like I was building a spaceship,” Carsley recalled. “That project hooked me. I’ve loved computers ever since.”

Ever since building his own computer, Carsley has been fully immersed in technology.

 

Backed by his parents and equipped with the problem-solving, critical-thinking skills he acquired at DLS, he chose to pursue a degree in computer science at Michigan State.

Early in his career, Carsley gained valuable experience with IBM designing and developing classified Department of Defense submarine-tracking systems, working with secure, mission-critical software and collaborating across enterprise-level technology teams. He later advanced his career at a major accounting and consulting firm, further strengthening his technical expertise and business acumen by designing systems for billion-dollar organizations.

Those quality experiences ultimately led to him founding his own company, Carsley Solutions, in 1996. Carsley Solutions is a technology and integration firm serving a diverse range of industries and clients from major automotive OEMs and Tier‑1 suppliers to banks and semiconductor manufacturers. Carsley Solutions has also developed numerous AI applications. Read Carsley's thoughts on AI at this link. 

 

Carsley's entrepreneurial path did not come without bumps in the road, however.

 

While attending college, his father passed away. With his mother serving as a homemaker, financial resources were scarce.

 

Rather than allowing the adverse circumstances to deter him, though, Carsley used them as motivation.

 

“When I made the decision to go into consulting, a lot of people told me I was making a big mistake,” he said. “They said it was too risky, too competitive, too uncertain.”

 

Instead of dissuading him, those naysayers fueled his drive to succeed.

 

“Hard work – and people telling me I couldn't do it – pushed me forward,” he admitted. “It made me double down, focus, and outwork everyone around me.”

Fast-forward to today, and Carsley sees a direct correlation between his professional success and the four core lessons he learned while a Pilot student: Discipline. Accountability. Independent thinking. Making decisions based on facts instead of fear.

 

Those principles have carried him through college, personal loss, professional challenges, and everything in between. They remain an integral part of the man he is today, and serve as a testament to the longstanding DLS difference.

 

Inspired by those same invaluable lessons, he and his wife, Karen, recently decided to give back to the current generation of Pilots. Via The Michael and Karen Carsley Foundation, the couple has established a scholarship fund to help ensure deserving students continue to have access to a DLS education.

 

It’s a prime example of the fact that Michael Carsley has never forgotten his humble beginnings on Common and Gloede, or the immense impact the all-boys school made on him. And now he’s decided to pay it forward, aiding the college preparatory school in its efforts to stay alive and well for another 100 years.

 

Although Carsley last walked the hallways of The Collegiate nearly 40 years ago, the school remains near and dear to him. And he continues to make decisions daily that reflect the servant-first, Lasallian way, and would make Bro. X and Bro. Tom grin from ear to ear.

Undoubtedly, De La Salle is proud to call Carsley one of its own.