When Principal Tiffany Cox got the call that we might be coming to her school, she didn’t hesitate. “I literally pulled over on the side of the road,” she laughed. “I was super over the moon.”
That kind of enthusiasm isn’t rare from Ms. Cox. As the proud Principal of Detroit’s Communication & Media Arts High School (CMA), she brings heart and hustle to everything she does, but especially when it comes to giving her students access to life-changing opportunities. That’s why, when she became Principal at CMA three years ago, bringing our Workforce Prep Mentoring Program with her was a no-brainer.
She had seen it work firsthand as Assistant Principal at Cass Tech, her alma mater. “I knew the value of the program, the experience, and the opportunities it offered. So, when Mr. Howard asked if I’d be interested in partnering at CMA, I knew it was something we had to do.”
Since then, she says, it’s been “a marriage and a match made in heaven.”
At CMA, our program is more than an occasional hourly session, it’s part of the school culture. The Career Mentors are greeted like rock stars in the hallways, and students not yet enrolled are already asking what they need to do to join. “They’re excited,” Ms. Cox says. “I’ve seen how they show up in presentations, how they network, how they’re thinking beyond high school now.”
She sees a transformation. Students who once hesitated to speak up are confidently sharing their goals and making moves toward college, careers, and adulthood. “It’s the one-to-one relationships with the Career Mentors that make all the difference,” she says. “Those connections, the real-life exposure, you can’t teach that from a textbook.”
It’s not just students who benefit. Ms. Cox is quick to highlight the mentors themselves; working professionals who show up consistently, form real relationships, and become part of the CMA community. “The students love seeing them. They know they’re cared for.”
For those wondering if mentorship really matters, Ms. Cox has a clear answer: “What we’re pouring into our students isn’t just for today. It’s for tomorrow’s future.”
We couldn’t agree more. Thank you, Principal Cox, for your partnership, your passion, and your commitment to empowering tomorrow’s workforce, one student at a time.
Career Mentors are volunteers from the Metro Detroit business community who help high school students figure out what they’ll do after high school and learn important life and job skills. They attend one-hour sessions with students at their school and coach them through our structured and fun curriculum. Learn more and apply to be a Career Mentor!