Our annual Awards Celebration was live and in-person this year! While we still practiced Covid safety protocols, the energy and excitement of being together on a perfect summer evening was undeniable. Some of our students met their mentors face-to-face for the first time, and other students were simply happy to see their mentors outside of a Zoom call!
Watch students give their scholarship acceptance speeches!
Click here to see pics from our 2021 Awards Celebration!
Our 2021 Awards Celebration took place on May 26 at the Butcher Education Center in Warren. We celebrated these young adults for their unprecedented resilience and commitment to their education during this generation-defining pandemic and for their excellence in our Workforce Prep program. In recognition of their hard work and accomplishments, 19 students were awarded a total of $26,000 in scholarships. In their acceptance speeches, we learned that, in addition to developing life and job readiness skills, the time spent with their mentors in our Work Force Prep program was a supportive outlet from the pressure of online learning.
Alizsa Johnson is a student at Harper Woods High School and said, “I always felt more confident in myself and the future after meeting with my mentor.”
Tiera Barnett, a student at Cass Technical High School, said, “This virtual part of my life has been awesome!”
We proudly recognize the 2021 Cupp-Hamilton Scholarship Recipients:
Cass Technical High School, Detroit
Tierra Barnett
Mentored by Julie Owens, Operations Supervisor, U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Michigan
Miyah Hepburn
Mentored by Besima Mellow, Treasury Manager, Ally Financial
Sha’Niya Simmons
Mentored by Alexis Hammerle, Vice President of Product Developers, BNY Mellon
Community High School, Sterling Heights
Rafel Abdulmaseeh
Mentored by Alexandria Marjamaa, Project Administrator, OCG Company
Mariah Sheperd-Sias
Mentored by Colleen Hau, Director of Global Product Innovation, Carhartt
Harper Woods High School, Harper Woods
Shania Dean-Motley
Mentored by Tonya Moore, Senior Supplier Quality Engineer Global CT Lead for Switches, General Motors
Matthew Dickerson
Mentored by Dionte Brown, Program Coordinator, LGBT Detroit
Paris Ellis
Mentored by Torri Garland, Engineer, General Motors
Alizsa Johnson
Mentored by Valencia White, Technology Compliance Program Manager, Rock Central LLC
Durell Thomas Jr
Mentored by Clarence Martin, President, Eypex
Mumford High School, Detroit
Chrishani Pleasant
Mentored by Sarah Zigila, Manager of Strategic Partnerships, Orbis Holding Group
Pontiac Academy for Excellence
Kiera Cordero
Mentored by Britt Storrs, Underwriter, United Shore
Warren Mott High School, Warren
Amaya Davis
Mentored by Kelly Savela, Senior Social Publisher, GTB
Kassidy Lapastora
Mentored by Lori Gulecki, Analyst- Financial Shared Services. (Education and P&I), Kelly Services
Shanaz Munni
Mentored by Jill Jones, Travel Agent, Cadillac Travel
We proudly recognize the 2021 Alumni Scholarship recipients:
Steven Bernard
Harper Woods High School, Harper Woods
Cuyahoga Community College
Mentored by Brittany Rhodes, Founder and General MATHager, Black Girl MATHgic
Kayla Lewis
Cass Technical High School, Detroit
Michigan State University
Mentored by Leavetta White, Training Specialist, Quicken Loans
Jay’la Rivers
Cass Technical High School, Detroit
University of Michigan-Flint
Mentored by Erika Jackson, Product Compliance Manger, Square
We proudly recognize the 2021 Melvin Akins Memorial Scholarship recipient:
Meron Eeso
Community High School, Sterling Heights
Mentored by Dave Lewan, National Account Service Manager, Kelly Services
Our work and student accomplishments would not be possible without the generous support from our partners, many of whom attended the Awards Celebration. Leading the pack is Lear Corporation, our Program Presenting Partner. More than 100 other businesses and charitable organizations also support us. On behalf of the students and communities we serve, thank you for helping these students find success!
As we wrap up a successful school year, we’re already planning and recruiting virtual mentors for the 2021-22 school year. Next year’s program will be completely online, with staff facilitating educational lessons followed by mentors meeting with their students through Zoom meetings. Mentors receive training and support before, during, and after every meeting. Apply to be a virtual mentor in the 2021-22 school year or, if you’d like to support our students, contact Daniela Matthews at Daniela@WinningFutures.org.