Our mentors come from every nook and cranny in the Metro Detroit business world. From small mom and pop shops to large international corporations, you’ll find in our ranks everything from entrepreneurs to presidents. One thing they all have in common is this – they’re making a real and meaningful difference, not just for the students they’re empowering, but for their families, their communities, and for the companies at which they will eventually work. And this past year, when most of the world was dealing with Zoom burn out, they showed up, every week, without fail.
Watch mentors talk about their experience in our program.
Our mentors are special people. They truly want to help local kids do better, feel better, and achieve success. They selflessly give their time and attention to empowering their students as they work to conquer obstacles that are blocking their path to success. More recently, they’re also helping these same students deal with very real and serious challenges resulting from COVID.
Mentoring is fun, meaningful, and impactful. Learn more about mentoring and other volunteer opportunities!
Special recognition is due to eight mentors who celebrated a milestone anniversary with us this past year. These mentors have displayed outstanding dedication to their students and our program for the past five, ten, and twenty years.
Ten Year Anniversary
Brian Agar, 2nd Shift Wing Engineer, Stellantis
Amanda Rymiszewski, Marketing Manager, O’Keefe
Five Year Anniversary
John Angelo, Partner, JJ Marshall & Associates
Lannie Arnold, Commodity Purchasing Agent, McNaughton-McKay Electric Company
Lori Gulecki, Analyst, Kelly Services
Gail Miciuda, Business & Product Development Manager, Thermoflex Corporation
Mark O’Malley, Commodity Buyer, ZF Group
Valencia White, Technology Compliance Program Manager, Rock Central LLC
2020-21 Winning Futures Mentors
Below is our mentor roster from this past schoolyear. Scan through the names and look for folks you might know or recognize. The next time you see them, in a coffee shop, in the hallway, or wherever you might be, stop, look them in the eye and say, “Thank you!” It’s very well deserved.
Sami Abu-Soud, Engineering Supervisor, Flex
Brian Agar, 2nd Shift Wing Engineer, Stellantis
Steven Ahomed, Architect, Verizon Business Group
Rasha Al-Naji, Director, Program Management, Flex
Bailey Altman, Internal Audit Manager, Ally Financial Inc.
Tyrone Anderson, Financial Analyst, Stellantis
John Angelo, Partner, JJ Marshall & Associates
Lannie Arnold, Commodity Purchasing Agent, McNaughton-McCay Electric Company
Lilian Asmar, Aministrative Assistant II, AmeriHealth Caritas
Kelly Banks-Cobbin, Compliance Manager, Ally Financial Inc.
Purvis Bell, Director Of Finance, Blue Cross Complete of Michigan
Steve Benedettini, President, Spalding DeDecker
Ruaa Bibi, Financial Analyst, Stellantis
Nicole Blacksher, Asst. Manufacturing Integration Manager, General Motors
Jon Bonk, Sr. Director, Global Program Management, Flex
Jeffrey Bradley, Senior Vice President, Comerica Bank
Trent Brodbeck, Buyer, MAHLE Behr USA
Dionté Brown, Program Coordinator, LGBT Detroit
LaJoyce Brown, Senior Associate Director, Wayne State University
Shuantia Brown, Launch Lead Electrical Coordinator, General Motors
Tamika Carden, Manager, Payroll Tax and Accounting, Tenneco
Danyael Cheairs, Client Experience Scoring, United Shore
Matthew Christensen, Senior Human Capital Consultant, Deloitte Consulting LLP
Mae Daniels, Marketing Associate, Extra Credit Union
Eder Davila, Controller, Stellantis
Brian Davis, Hospital Police, Henry Ford Hospital
Scott Dawson
Cathy Dean, Retiree, Accenture
Arundhati Desai, Manager, Stellantis
Robert Doyle, President and CEO, Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants
Brianna Ellison, Manager, Local Government Affairs & Community Engagement, Verizon
Ashley Fordyce, School and Community Relations Coordinator, Extra Credit Union
Shauna Foster, Treasury Manager, Ally Financial Inc.
Courtney Foyt, Graphic Designer, Detroit Tigers
David Garcia, Business Specialist, United Shore
Torri Garland, Engineer, General Motors
Cassandra Gilliam, Finance, Stellantis
Elise Goulbourne, Clinical Supervisor, Black Family Development
Reggie Green, Commodity Manager, Intel
Lori Gulecki, Analyst, Kelly Services
Alexis Hammerle, VP Of Product Developers, BNY Mellon
Gavin Haque, Educational Consultant, Gavin Haque Enterprises
Brent Hartz, Head of Fleet And Network Development Finance, Stellantis
Stephen Hatfield, Vibration and Shock Durability Test Technician, Stellantis
Colleen Hau, Director of Global Product Innovation, Carhartt
Errol Hau, Vice President Financial Advisor, Cap Trust
Jason Henige, Senior Application Analyst, Quicken Loans
Shatona Holcomb, Director of Talent & Culture, Ford House
Daniel Hubbard, FVP, Retail Lending Manager, Independent Bank
Jason Indeck, Senior Financial Analyst, Stellantis
Laronda Jackson, Manager, Benefits Finance, Stellantis
Jenifer Janhevich, Community Health Educator, Blue Cross Complete of Michigan
Jessica Jeffery, Sr. Environmental Engineer, General Motors
Jill Jones, Travel Agent, Cadillac Travel
Tayler Jouja, Program Manger, Lear Corporation
Angela Kaptur, Regional Vice President, Primerica Financial Services
John Klehm, SVP, Spectrum
Lida Kuehne, Supplier Quality Development, General Motors
Todd Ledingham, US-SSM Order Fulfillment Process Leader, General Motors
Brenda Lever, Director, Provider Network Management, Blue Cross Complete of Michigan
Michelle Lewallen, Sr. Director, Human Resources, Veoneer
Dave Lewan, National Account Service Manager, Kelly Services Inc.
Christopher Lubowicki, Technical Sales, Texas Instruments
Dawn Lyman, Foundation Manager, Barton Malow Company
Beverly Maddox, Director, Signature Events, Detroit Regional Chamber
Andrew Makar, Services Program Management, Marketing Cloud, Salesforce
Michael Malaga, Vice President, Comerica Bank
Alexandria Marjamaa, Project Administrator, OCG Companies
Clarence Martin, President, Eypex
Besima Mello, Treasury Manager, Ally Financial Inc.
Matthew Michayluk, Account Manager, Complete Prototype Services
Gail Miciuda, Business & Product Development Manager, Thermoflex Corporation
Advaitha Misra
Tonya Moore-Bouchard, Sr Supplier Quality Engineer Global CT Lead for switches, General Motors
Kayla Moran, Product Owner, Rock Central LLC
Cassandra Mulcahy, Senior Buyer, Ford Motor Company
Shivani Naik, Financial Analyst, Stellantis
Ryan Nieves, Application Engineer, Continental
Donna Nowaczyk, IT Project Manager, Ally Financial Inc.
Kevin O’Connell, Advanced Energy Systems Manager, Michigan CAT – Power Systems Division
Ayesha Oglesby, Family Nurse Practitioner, Neighborhood Service Organization
Babarinde Ogunyoye, Design Program Manager, Flex Ltd.
Kevin O’Keefe, President – North America, Robert Bosch Automotive Steering LLC
Mark O’Malley, Commodity Buyer, ZF Group
Linda Ornsby Hendricks, Principal, The Ornsby Group
Julie Owens, Operations Supervisor, U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Michigan
Bruce Pierce, Retired, Ford Motor Company
Janise Plata, Manager, Provider Network, Blue Cross Complete of Michigan
Matthew Pokorski, Director, Business & Operations Analytics, Kelly Services
Tony Popovski, Purchasing Manager, General Motors
Patricia Powell, Manager, DTE Energy Retiree
Anitra Riddle, Credit Analyst, TD Auto Finance
Donna Rochester, Professor, Washtenaw Community College
Stephen Ross, Program Manager, Lear Corporation
Amanda Rymiszewski, Marketing Manager, O’Keefe
Ana Sandoval, Credit Collections Analyst, Tenneco
Prayush Saraswat, Manager, Global Major Accounts, Autodesk
Kelly Savela, Senior Connections Manager; Tier 3 Social Media, VMLY&R
Joseph Scavarda, Finance, Stellantis
Dan Schmelzer, Sr. Marketing Specialist, Digital, Lear Corporation
Kurt Simko, Manager–Real Estate Investments & Risk, Stellantis
Donald Slominski, Manager, Ernst & Young
Cedric Stokes, Validation Engineer, General Motors
Brittany Storrs, Underwriter, United Shore
Jennifer Sutherland, Director, Training & Development, Kelly Services
Christine Swart, Communications Manager, DuPont
Ashley Turner, Senior Buyer, General Motors
Benny Vann, General Manager / Engineering Director, BCS-Automotive Interface Solutions
Sharon vanSpronsen, Marketing Coordinator, Phillips Service Industries
Gerardo Villagrana, Studio Integration Design Engineer, General Motors
Senthil Vivekanandan, Finance Director, Lear Corporation
Patrick Vondette, Director, Ally Financial Inc.
Loria Walker, Cataloging Technician, University of Detroit Mercy
Daniel Wallace, Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives Manager, General Motors
Shannon Ward, Sr. Lead Graphic Designer, General Motors
Cheronda White, Business Development Manager, Detroit Regional Chamber
Valencia White, Technology Compliance Program Manager, Rock Central LLC
Kristine Whitney, Account Service Coordinator, Brown & Brown of Detroit
Darrel Williams, Regional Sales Manager: Sony Semiconductor, Sony Electronics, Inc.
Lyndon Williams, Director, Business Development, Powertrain, AM General
Jerel Wilson, Delivery Specialist, King Expedited Service LLC
Jewel Wilson, Detroit Promise Path Campus Coach, Detroit Regional Chamber
George Wooley, VP Business Development, Flex
Krista Wortman, Dentist/owner, Summit Family Dental
Arjun Yetukuri, Innovation Manager, Lear Corporation
Tom Zara, Owner—Private Tutor, Zara Tutoring
Sarah Zigila, Manager of Strategic Partnerships, Orbis Holding Group
Mentoring is fun, meaningful, and impactful. Learn more about mentoring and other volunteer opportunities!