January is National Mentoring Month, a time to recognize the people and organizations that quietly change the direction of lives. For us, that means celebrating our volunteer Career Mentors and the companies and organizations that support them.
- Video: Meet some Career Mentors
- Learn more about being a Career Mentor
- Learn how your company or organization can host an informational presentation
Our volunteer Career Mentors get involved because they selflessly believe in helping others, especially teenagers who are oftentimes struggling to figure out who they are and what they’ll do after high school. They show up consistently, and by doing so, demonstrate to students that they matter, that someone believes in them. And they’re honest about their own paths, sharing their real-life experiences and lessons, helping students see that success is possible.
“You rarely become what you don’t see. So, I’m showing these guys that there are other paths,” said Carl McAllister II, Senior Quality Engineer at Lear and volunteer Career Mentor in the Winning Futures program at Harper Woods High School. “With everything kids are facing – social media, academic pressure, tough home situations – they can feel forgotten. This program reminds them they’re not.”
Equally important are the companies and organizations that make mentoring possible. They see mentoring as investments in people and their communities – not time away from work. “When our employees mentor students,” one manager said, “they come back better listeners and stronger leaders. They feel good because they know they’re making a difference. And we feel good because this is an important program.”
These organizations invest for the long term. They offer flexibility and lead with empathy and inclusion, understanding that today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce. Most of all, they live their values by putting people and the future first.
We have 226 mentors from 150 companies working with 486 Metro Detroit students in our 2025-26 Workforce Prep Mentoring Program. They range from young professionals to seasoned retirees, and they come from mom-and-pop shops, multinational corporations, and everything in between.
This National Mentoring Month, we celebrate the mentors for their dedication and service, and the employers who stand behind them!
Our 2025-26 Volunteer Career Mentors
Sami Abu-Soud Brian Agar, Stellantis Mahfuj Ahbab, Symbiosys Matthew Allison, Allianz Trade Rasha Al-Naji, Flex Jessica Anderson, Ford Motor Company Michael Anderson, General Motors Dena Austin, Blue Cross Complete of Michigan Laura Bahnke, DuPont Juretta Bailey-Grajewski, Oakland University Mary Barton, Equitable Accounting Solutions PLLC Daniel Batten, Electronic Components International Tommy Bell, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (Detroit Branch) Christopher Benson, BorgWarner Inc. Josh Berg, Magna International Tab Berger, Cisco Jennifer Bleau, Vibe Credit Union Nicholas Boguth, Center For Financial Planning Joshua Borden, Rocket Mortgage Aaron Boundy, McNaughton-McKay Electric Company Jaimee Braidwood, Molex Tawana Brown, Adient Kent Brown, Detroit Pistons Chanese Brown, LoanDepot Frederick Brown, Department of the Army Marcela Brozova, Marelli Diane Burns, Allegis Global Solutions Calena Carabelli, Technomics Tamika Carden, Tenneco Powertrain Belinda Cargile , Johnson & Johnson Joseph Cassise, McNaughton-McKay Electric Company Melanie Cates, General Motors Norma Ceaser, General Motors Caroline Chalifoux, Lear Corporation Natalie Chipot, Forvia Melissa Chmiel, General Motors Joshua Christman, Walbridge Thomas Clemons, Comerica Bank Shayla Cobbs, MGM Grand Detroit LaShawn Cooks, Comerica Bank Lauren Crook, Independent Contractor Jacob Crosby, McNaughton-McKay Electric Company Kelly Crowley, Dupont Karly Cunningham, Lear Corporation Matthew Daniels, The Pudding Melissa Davidson, Bronson Medical Group Brian Davis, State of Michigan Christopher Dennis, General Motors Tamisha Denson, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago-Detroit Branch Megan Derwich, Flex-N-Gate Kimberlee Diehr, BorgWarner Inc. Ashley DiFonzo, Autobooks Jacob Dondzila , Shinola Hotel Sakiya Duncan, Michigan State University Erica Earle, Proterial America, Ltd. Charles Ellias, Charles Michael Designs/North American Lapidary Laboratory Alison Ellis, HL Mando Kathryn Ellywicz, Hazel Park Civic Action Network Gerald Ferguson, Forvia Ashley Fordyce , Extra Credit Union Adam Fowler, Constellium Ja'Nae Friday, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Carmen Gaines, Turner Construction Company Foundation Juan Garcia-Hinojosa, Bosch Torri Garland, General Motors Elise Goulbourne, Black Family Development Todd Grafton, Grafton Enterprises Nicolette Granata, Living and Learning Mark Granderson, Detroit Manufacturing System Sarah Gregory, Detroit Regional Partnership Thomas Gregory, Rocket Close Amer Gunic, McNaughton-McKay Electric Company Karis Hall, Detroit Manufacturing Systems Alexis Hammerle, Amazon Marielle Hand, McNaughton-McKay Electric Company Gavin Haque, Gavin Haque Enterprises Raquel Harris, Lear Corporation Brian Harris, NanoXplore Inc. Errol Hau, Cap Trust Colleen Hau, Orthogonal Thinking Sharita Henderson, General Motors Michael Ho, Molex Kaila Hobson, Dykema Gossett PLLC Lisa Hoinville, HL Mando Alex Holder, Technomics Stacey Horn, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Jason Hurley, Pfeiffer Sales Co. Jessica Hymon, Ally Financial Dan Ibanes, Continental Automotive Eve Jaehnen, Michigan State University College of Nursing LaKisha James, Amrock Tamira Jefferson-Lampkin, General Dynamics Land Systems Patrice Johnson, Project Scientist Ariana Johnson, Rocket Mortgage Charles Johnson, Adecco Ashley Johnson, Black Innovation Alliance Denetra Johnson, EXP Realty Grace Johnson, Rocket Mortgage K'Mari Johnson, Vesicare Group Ashley Johnson-Varner, Kresge Foundation Clayton Jones, Lear Corporation Cashmiere Jones, Winning Futures Kayla Jordan, General Dynamics Land Systems Matthus Joshua, E-MAD LLC Tina Joshua, Sam’s Club Pharmacy John Keeley, Lear Corporation Jason Keith, Oplogic Charity Kemp, Financial Abundance Services LLC Kimberly Kersten, Comerica Bank Saima Khalil, Khalil Law Gregory Kielb, Veoneer Safety Systems Benjamin King, City of Toledo Tallette Kitchen, Leidos Tonya Krause, Charlton Lida Kuehne, General Motors Lawrence Lanier, General Motors Sun Young Lee, Global Epicenter of Mobility Marina Lekocaj, DirectRX Angela Lenda Leron Lightfoot Math 4 Success Ashley Mabbitt, McLaren Health Plan Andrew Makar, Salesforce Michael Malaga, Comerica Bank Allicia Malmgren, General Motors Amy Markus, PDS Tech Kathryn Marquette, Bedrock Real Estate Diontay Marshall, Bridgewater Interiors Clarence Martin, LM Manufacturing Alicia Martinez, Oakwood Group Fabio Maximiuc, ZF Carl McAllister, Lear Corporation Michael McBride Katharine McLaughlin, The Kresge Foundation Besima Mello, Ally Financial Matthew Michayluk, Complete Prototype Services Valetha Mitchell, General Motors Andrew Moore, Lear Corporation Barbara Morgan, Lear Corporation Althea Mukes, Martinrea International Brandon Myers, CUSG Kimberly Neely, True Growth Coaching LLC Roberta Neumann, Edustaff Peter Nguyen, United Wholesale Mortgage Leia Nowotny, Lear Corporation Angela Oleksiak, Samaritas Cynitra Oliver, KeyBank Taneshia Onyenwenwa, Michigan Dept of Corrections Christian Oteng, Prime Professional Group/LOE Financial Michael Otto, IHA Infectious Diseases Kay Otto, St. Joseph Hospital Erynn Pannell, Chick-Fil-A Livonia Tara Pappas, Lear Corporation Jennifer Parent, LabCorp Michael Parent, StockX Ellis Parker, DTE Energy Ashley Parker-Ozier Tyler Pashak, United Wholesale Mortgage ShaRon Patterson, Detroit Manufacturing Systems Mercy Pettes, HAP Bruce Pierce, Ford Motor Company Ryan Pisani, Gentherm Tony Popovski, General Motors Regina Porter, Crescent Academy Charter School Thomas Pullis, Comerica Bank Chari Reeves, KeyBank Anna Reseigh, Henry Ford Health Diego Rios, Rocket Mortgage Melissa Roberts, Stellantis Shayna Rodriguez, Detroit Manufacturing Systems Kenneth Rogers, General Motors Stephen Ross, Lear Corporation Rose Rostamloo, Marelli Lindsay Russ, The Pyramid Initiative Julia Russell, Narmi Amanda Rymiszewski, O'Keefe Kashif Saleem, Martinrea International James Salem, Slalom Rene Sanchez, Nissan Ana Sandoval Kelly Savela, Publicis Media Stephen Sawyers, Blacklight Mobile Paloma Shah, Deloitte Brenae Smith, Bridgewater Interiors Laurelle Smith, Adient Sidney Smith, Maclean-Fogg Tomika Snodgrass, Confident Heart Coach Andrea Spade, Kelly Services Matt Spatafora, WDIV Deanna Stangas, General Motors Brian Stavola, Constellium Ashley Steele, Washtenaw Intermediate School District Jacquelyn Stokes-Williams, Baldwin House Senior Living Brandi Stueckrath, Detroit Manufacturing Systems Keyonte' Summers, Veoneer Safey Systems/ KC Realty LLC Jeff Supina, Stanton Chase Christine Swart Steven Swiftney, Comerica Bank Melody Temple, The Fresher Brand Myra Tetteh, Wayne County Department of Health, Human & Veteran Services Alexis Thomas, DTE Energy Donald Thomas, General Dynamics Land Systems Laura Tiesler, Rocket Mortgage Chad Toms, NABR - National Association of Business Resources Zachary Treib, McNaughton-McKay Electric Company Ryan Triolet, Keller Postman, LLC Matthew Tripp, McNaughton-McKay Electric Company Benny Vann, BCS Automotive Jorge Vasquez, OSRAM Senthil Vivekanandan, Electrical Components International Patrick Vondette, EW Grobbel & Sons Michael Walker, DTE Energy Lauren Wang, Lear Corporation Glenda Ward, Kresge Foundation Sarah Wesolek-Greenson, Winning Futures Carissa Wesson, JAWsome Consulting Valencia White, International UAW Leavetta White, Rocket Mortgage Kelsea Wilhelm, Rocket Mortgage Layla Williams, Ford Motor Company Linda Woodward, Content Critical Solutions Lillian Woolley, South Channel Environmental Consulting, LLC Pablo Zambrano, LG Electronics Anthony Zamora, Muller Textiles Aaron Zaremski, McNaughton-McKay Electric Company Sarah Zigila, Orbis Holding Group
Our Partner Schools Cass Technical High School, Detroit Communication & Media Arts High School, Detroit Community High School, Sterling Heights Harper Woods High School, Harper Woods Hazel Park High School, Hazel Park Pontiac Academy for Excellence, Pontiac Warren Mott High School, Warren