At our 11th annual Corks & Forks, Frank Orsini, executive vice president and president of seating at Lear Corporation, received the Sam Cupp Impact Award. In honor of Winning Futures founder, Sam Cupp (1947-2012), the award is presented to a business owner or corporate executive for stepping up and making transformational changes in the community.
Recognizing the growing and critical need to better prepare students for life after high school, Orsini joined our Board of Directors in 2013. His impact has been both meaningful and impressive, helping recruit more than 125 Lear employees to serve as volunteers, and increasing board fundraising by 326 percent. With the influx of participation and support, the size, scope, and depth of our program significantly increased, helping more students transform into self-reliant, employable, and productive adults.
Angelica Tibbitts is one such student. As a high schooler at Pontiac Academy for Excellence, Angelica struggled with homelessness, poverty, depression, and lack of support. With help from her Winning Futures mentor, Tamara Taylor, prototype build engineer at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, she became the first in her family to graduate from high school. Today she’s a freshman at Saginaw Valley State University where she is studying education and communications.
“Working with Winning Futures has been a passion of mine,” said Orsini, vice chair of the Winning Futures Board of Directors. “I have consistently seen that with a little leadership, support, and encouragement, the students in this program go on to do amazing things. I’m very proud to be a part of this great organization and receive the Sam Cupp Impact Award.”