Mentoring Done Right!
March 16, 2021 StudentsHow Valencia White helped Alizsa Johnson overcome COVID-related challenges, grow her business, and strive for her future. Alizsa Johnson considers herself a typical teenager who enjoys hanging out with friends, FaceTiming, texting, and watching TikTok videos. But really, she is anything but typical. Alizsa is a junior at Harper Woods… Read More
Thank You To Our Donors!
February 1, 2021 News
Our donors are a great source of inspiration. Kimberly Kersten is a senior vice president and director of business banking at Comerica Bank and member of our advisory board. Kimberly donates because she knows the importance and value of our Workforce Prep program. “I donated because I believe in the… Read More
Benny’s Superpower: Celebrating National Mentor Month
January 21, 2021 Mentor
He said, “I have a superpower.” I wasn’t sure if I heard him correctly. I thought to myself, “Did he say, ‘superpower?’ Is this guy crazy?” Feeling it necessary to get more information, but not sure I really wanted to know more, I nervously responded, “Really? What is it?” “I’m… Read More
The Online Shift: A Teacher’s Perspective
December 14, 2020 News
Monique Lake, science teacher at Harper Woods High School. Embracing the shift Traditionally, “going to school” has been the place where students and teachers meet each day for the purposes of instilling knowledge and wonder, but the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic shifted that, and sent teachers and students scrambling to figure… Read More
Winning Futures 22nd Annual Golf Classic raises $105,000 for students
November 11, 2020 News
On Monday, September 14, 2020, over 200 guests joined us at the historic Indianwood Golf and Country Club in Lake Orion, MI for our 22nd Annual Winning Futures Golf Classic in support of our students. $105,000 was raised at the sold-out event sponsored by EHIM, Hamilton Chevrolet, Stahl, and Target… Read More
Winning Futures Appoints New Board Members
November 10, 2020 News
Left: Scott Thiele, head of portfolio planning, FCA – North America and head of global long range plan coordination. Right: Marlin G. Williams, vice president, global diversity and inclusion at StockX. We are pleased to welcome Scott Thiele, head of portfolio planning, FCA – North America and Marlin Williams, vice… Read More
Virtual Mentor Reunion
August 18, 2020 News
On July 29, mentors past and present gathered online with our team for our first ever virtual reunion. Familiar faces joined the Zoom call from across the country to spend an hour of their day catching up and reminiscing. With each story and memory shared, the undeniable passion and dedication… Read More
Winning Futures alumni – sign up for our College Success Coaching!
August 13, 2020 News
College isn’t easy, for anyone. Challenging class schedules, difficult assignments, living away from home, trying to figure out your career plan…it can easily overwhelm students, but it does not need to! Our new College Success Coaching program will help former Winning Futures students and current Detroit Promise students overcome challenges college… Read More
Past Winning Futures students – sign up for a mentor!
August 13, 2020 News
Don’t let COVID-19 affect your student’s development and success. We have designed a monthly one-on-one virtual mentoring program for students who were in last year’s mentoring program. This community-based model is fun and free! Space is limited so register online today. Students will be matched with their mentor from last year or… Read More
2020 Outstanding Mentors
July 21, 2020 MentorWe are proud to announce our Mentors of the Year for the 2019-2020 schoolyear. Awarded annually, mentors from each participating school are nominated by their students and selected by Winning Futures staff for their outstanding commitment to mentoring and support of their students. Congratulations to the winners! Click on the… 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 »