Our most important ingredient: 2022-23 Career Mentors
September 19, 2023 Uncategorized
If you ask pastry chefs to identify the most important cake ingredient, you’ll likely get a variety of answers. Many will say it’s the flour. Some might say it’s the eggs. And others might say it’s butter, sugar, salt, or a variety of other things. When it comes to our… Read More
$44,000 in scholarships awarded to 18 students, seven career mentors honored for their dedication, and all of our annual sponsors recognized for their generous support
July 7, 2023 Event, Mentor, Students
We held our 29th Annual Awards Celebration on June 6, 2023, at Club Venetian in Madison Heights, and awarded $44,000 in scholarships to 18 students from our Workforce Prep program. We also honored seven career mentors for their five or ten year volunteer anniversary and recognized all of our sponsors… Read More
Marcelo Conti, Executive Director, Interior, Exterior and Thermal, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain at General Motors joins the Board of Directors
July 7, 2023 News
We are pleased to announce that Marcelo Conti, executive director of Interior, Exterior and Thermal, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain at General Motors, has joined our Board of Directors. “I have been passionate about Winning Futures since I first heard of its mission to help local Detroit youth. As someone… Read More
2023 Corks & Forks Breaks Records
April 10, 2023 Event
We knew this was going to be a good event. What we didn’t know was that it would be record setting. Chaired by Marlo Vitous, senior vice president - Purchasing & Supply Chain at Stellantis, and supported by Pete Hockey of Ford Motor Company, Matt Joshua of General Motors, and… Read More
Ruomu Hu, Vice President and General Manager at Harman International, Joins Board of Directors
April 10, 2023 Mentor
We are very pleased to announce that Ruomu Hu has been elected to our Board of Directors. “Everyone deserves a fair chance at the American dream,” said Ruomu. “Seeing the fundamental impacts Winning Futures has made for these beautiful young minds and their bright futures has made me a firm… Read More
Welcome Our New Board Member, Reggie Roland, Principal Director of Partnerships at Interior Environments
January 6, 2023 Mentor
Reggie Roland, principal director of partnerships at Interior Environments, is the newest member of our Board of Directors. “I’m honored and thankful to share that I have aligned with Winning Futures as a board member. I have always had a passion for supporting my community. This board position allows me… Read More
Our 2022-23 curriculum features enhanced strategies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, asset-based language, and social and emotional learning. We also launched year 6 of our 7-year program.
November 5, 2022 Announcements, News, Students
Our program has always focused on the empowerment of our students. While our impact has been significant, we are aware that the challenges our students face are constantly changing and that we need to respond accordingly. With 90 percent of our students being people of color and 75 percent coming… Read More
Our golfers brought out the sun and raised $150K at our 24th Annual Golf Classic
November 5, 2022 Event, Fundraiser
Unlike last year, there was no rain at this year’s Golf Classic, so we were already off to a good start. More than 255 people participated in our 24th annual Golf Classic and helped us raise $150,000 to support students in our Workforce Prep program. The outing was held… Read More
May Thao is learning important life and job readiness skills while planning for her future. Her career mentor is helping her along the way.
November 5, 2022 Uncategorized
Pontiac Academy for Excellence student, May Thao (right), with her career mentor, Lida Kuehne, supplier quality development at General Motors. May Thao is a senior at Pontiac Academy for Excellence and in the third year of our Workforce Prep program. With help from her career… Read More
Denzel Lane wants to be a veterinarian or car design engineer. With help from his career mentor, he’ll figure it out.
November 5, 2022 Uncategorized
Denzel (left) with his mentor Phillip during one of our Workforce Prep sessions at Cass Technical High School. Denzel Lane is a 16-year-old student at Cass Technical High School in Detroit. He recently completed his first year (10th grade) in our Workforce Prep program and… Read More
Another Very Special Night, Corks & Forks 2025
On March 8, 2025, the ballroom at The Townsend Hotel shimmered with elegance as we hosted our 17th annual Corks & Forks gala. This year’s event, chaired by Teresa Thiele, Senior Vice President of Global Purchasing Programs at Stellantis, brought together community leaders, business professionals, and passionate supporters to celebrate ... Read More »
From Medicine to Tech: Shanaz Munni’s Winning Futures Journey
When Shanaz Munni joined our Workforce Prep Mentoring Program at Warren Mott High School in 2018, she thought she had it all figured out—she was going to be a doctor, but she really didn’t know how to make that dream a reality. Now, at 22, she’s preparing to graduate from ... Read More »
Student Spotlight: Durell Thomas Jr. Makes it to the Big Leagues
When I last wrote about Durell Thomas Jr. he was going into 12th grade (Year 3 of our Workforce Prep program) at Harper Woods High School. He was dreaming about becoming a professional sports photographer and learning how to put together academic and career plans. Read 2021 blog about Durell. ... Read More »
Scott Rice transitions to Chair Emeritus of BOD, Matt Joshua elected Chair
A personal note from Kristina Marshall, President and CEO, Winning Futures: Fifteen years ago, Scott Rice, president and COO of Powerlink Healthcare Support Services, joined our Board of Directors after attending our golf outing and visiting a Workforce Prep mentoring session. Words cannot describe how grateful I am that he ... Read More »
Forvia Group Vice President of Supplier Diversity, Lawrence Williams II, Joins Our Board of Directors
We are very pleased to announce that Lawrence Williams II has been elected to our Board of Directors. Williams is a transformational leader with over 28 years of success in the automotive and commercial vehicle industries driving growth, innovation, and operational excellence. In his role at Forvia, Williams leads strategic ... Read More »
Winning Futures offers CMA students, mentors, opportunity to grow
Note: Below is an article written by Korey Colton for his high school paper, The Communicator. Korey attends Communication & Media Arts High School in Detroit and is in our Year 2 (11th grade) Workforce Prep program. With permission, we have re-published it here. Learn more about our seven-year Workforce ... Read More »
Our 2024 Golf Social at Topgolf was a “hole-in-one” kind of success!
We held our first ever Golf Social on September 25, 2024, at Topgolf in Auburn Hills. Replacing our traditional golf outing of years past, the Golf Social at Topgolf provided much more opportunities for guests of all golf skill levels to participate, have fun, and network with senior business executives. ... Read More »
Marcus Sumrall is in our Year 2 (11th grade) program and wants to be a real estate agent and home renovator.
Marcus Sumrall is looking down the road, preparing for what’s next, and getting his work done well and on time. Marcus participated in our Year 1 (10th grade, life skills development) Workforce Prep program last year at Cass Technical High School in Detroit. He was mentored by Joshua Friday, battery ... Read More »
The Career Mentor Experience
“It has been so fulfilling to me to be able to share my experiences and see that it matters and that students are taking the information I’ve shared with them and doing something positive with it. It has been a blessing and a wonderful experience.” This past year we had ... Read More »
Nazifa Kadir is in our Year 6 (continuing education) program and attending the University of Michigan, studying for a degree in pharmaceutical science.
If you knew Nazifa Kadir back when she was in high school, you might be surprised to see the person she is today. Nazifa is a junior at the University of Michigan studying for a degree in pharmaceutical science. She is more assertive, outgoing, and confident in who she is ... Read More »
Rei Struga is in our Year 4 (continuing education) program and on his way to Wayne State University where he will study computer science.
“High school is a confusing and stressful time. You need all the help you can get.” These are the words of Rei Struga. He just graduated from Warren Mott High School and is on his way to Wayne State University where he will study computer science. He has a vision, ... Read More »
30th Anniversary Awards Celebration: $30,000 in scholarships awarded to 16 students; Seven students celebrated for graduating from college; 16 volunteers honored for their five or ten-year career mentoring anniversary.
Our 30th Anniversary Awards Celebration was absolutely loaded with good news. Held at Club Venetian in Madison Heights on June 10, more than 200 people gathered to bear witness to the amazing accomplishments our students have achieved and the generous support we receive from our volunteer career mentors and annual ... Read More »