“Winning Futures is a beacon of hope for students like me.”
A message from President and CEO, Kristina Marshall, 1994-95 Winning Futures alum
Amaya Davis captured our hearts with her speech this year at our 30th Annual Awards Celebration! She started in our Workforce Prep program in high school and just finished her sixth year. Now that she has completed her associates degree, Amaya is on her way to Wayne State University to earn her degree in early childhood education. Instead of writing an article about our impact this year, I believe it is better if you hear from Amaya about her experience (click to watch her speech and to also hear from her mom)!
Many of our students have a similar story: They joined the program in 10th grade unsure about their future or how to reach their goals, they began working with their career mentors and our team, they learned new skills and gained confidence, and they began completing their steps to graduate, continue their education, and pursue their career. We are grateful for all the volunteers, educators, and funders who make this seven-year program possible for our students!
“When I stopped procrastinating, my grades started to get better. It made me feel good. I was proud of myself.”
Marcus Sumrall is in our Year 2 (11th grade) program and wants to be a real estate agent and home renovator.
Marcus is a junior at Cass Technical High School in Detroit. He’s learning about the importance of having goals and being proactive. “Joshua taught me some ways to overcome my procrastination,” said Marcus. “He taught me that it’s a mindset. You must set goals for yourself and get through those steps. Attack the hardest thing first and work on the easier stuff later.” Pictured with Marcus (right) is his career mentor, Joshua Friday (left), battery systems lead engineer at General Motors, and a fellow student (center). Read more!
“Tamika helped me realize that I know what I want, that it’s up to me to take steps forward. No one is in charge of how I feel, except myself.”
Nazifa Kadir is in our Year 6 (continuing education) program and attending the University of Michigan, studying for a degree in pharmaceutical science.
With coaching from her mentor, Tamika Carden, manager of payroll tax and accounting at Tenneco, Nazifa explored careers and learned important life and job-readiness skills. As she progressed through the program, Nazifa became more self-aware and confident. Pictured is Nazifa (right) and Tamika (left). Read more!
“It’s a very confusing time of life. You need to talk to someone who can help you figure out what you want to do and where you want to go. And that’s what Andy and the Winning Futures program did for me.”
Rei Struga is in our Year 4 (continuing education) program and on his way to Wayne State University where he will study computer science.
What are you going to do after you graduate from high school? For some students, this question triggers stress and anxiety. They either don’t know what they’re going to do, or they don’t have the knowledge and resources to make their vision become reality. For Rei Struga, recent graduate of Warren Mott High School, it was a little of both. Pictured is Rei (left) with his career mentor Andy Makar (right), director of Engagement Delivery at Salesforce. Read more!
Our students continue to amaze us with their determination to learn, grow, and succeed.
Our students are still rebounding from the effects of COVID, getting excited about their futures, and working towards achieving their goals.
For some people, statistics are boring – the kind of stuff you read when you want to take a nap. For us, it’s the nuggets needed to validate our work and know that what we’re doing is making a real and meaningful difference. Here are two “nuggets” from last year’s program: 100 percent of our seniors graduated from high school and 94 percent of our Year 3 students are more prepared to persevere or overcome challenges. Pictured is Dyan Converse (right), with her student, Ava Jordan (left), at Warren Mott High School. Click here for our 2023-2024 outcomes.
We awarded $30,000 in scholarships to our students!
Since 1994, we have awarded $2.2 million and impacted more than 50,500 students.
“The program helped me get a clear vision of what I want to become – a registered nurse,” said Halimatus Sadia. “And the scholarship will help make my vision come true.” Halimatus recently graduated from Community High School in Sterling Heights and is one of 16 students who received a combined total of $30,000 in scholarships to support their college, trade school, or similar continuing education expenses. Pictured are scholarship winners at our 2024 Awards Celebration. Read more!
“It’s far easier than you think and it’s far more rewarding than you can ever imagine, and it’s vital to the future of our community. If we engage early, we can make a bigger difference in a shorter amount of time.” - Clarence Martin, Former President, Eypex
Career mentors needed at high schools in Detroit, Harper Woods, Hazel Park, Pontiac, Sterling Heights, and Warren.
Career mentors are volunteers from the Metro Detroit business community. They attend high-energy sessions with their students at their school, help them complete workbook pages, and participate in fun activities that reinforce the day’s lesson. We train career mentors before the program begins and provide on-site support during every session. Pictured is Todd Grafton (right), global lead buyer at General Motors, and Taiwo Ogunfuye (left), student at Communication & Media Arts High School in Detroit. Apply and/or learn more!
“It has been so fulfilling to me 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.”
We asked 3 veteran volunteers about their career mentor experience. Their responses were both stunning and heart-warming.
This past year we had the honor of recognizing 16 career mentors for their five-year and ten-year volunteer anniversary. We asked three to tell us about their experience, helping students figure out what they want to do with their lives, and coaching them as they pursue their academic and career goals. Read more!
Good? No. Pretty good? Nope. Awesome? That’s it! Our Board of Directors is awesome! Not only do they truly believe in our mission, they back it up with their words and actions. We couldn’t ask for more.
Front (L to R):
Victor Edozien, President and CEO, BWD Technologies
Tony Tomczak, President, Tomczak Enterprises LLC
Reggie Roland, President, District by Design
Scott Rice, President and COO, POWERLINK
Matthus Joshua, Owner, E-MADD, LLC
Back (L to R):
Terry Bishop, President, Trilogy
Tim Mailley, Chief Commercial Officer, Yazaki
Sandy Shecter, Director Firmwide Managed Services and Outsourcing, Rehmann
Scott Thiele, Senior V.P. of Strategic Technology Partnerships, Stellantis
Stephanie Burnley-Hemphill, Co-CEO, Devon Industrial
Kristina Marshall, President and CEO, Winning Futures
Marcelo Conti, Executive Director, Purchasing, General Motors
Pete Hockey, Global Commodity Director, Ford
Not Pictured:
Ellyn Davidson, CEO, Brogan & Partners
Jeff Hoover, Chief Legal Officer, Alta
Ruomu Hu, GM & VP of Embedded Audio BU, Harman International
Todd Kennedy, VP North American Seating, Lear Corporation
Jennette Smith Kotila, CMO & Partner, CRIMSON
Brandon Leslie, V.P. of Industrial, Barton Malow
Razzaaq McConner, VP - Purchasing, Americas, Adient
Frank Orsini, EVP and President of Seating, Lear Corporation