METRO DETROIT — “Attitude is everything.” That is the motto of the students and mentors in the “Winning Futures” family.

They brought those positive attitudes to the organization’s annual awards celebration June 10 at Club Venetian in Madison Heights.

During the evening, the students and their families, mentors and program sponsors enjoyed dinner. The students also were acknowledged for receiving a total of $30,000 in scholarships.

Winning Futures, based in Troy, works with several metro Detroit high school students to find career paths through its workforce prep program. Business professionals serve as volunteer career mentors. They meet with students on a regular basis at the schools to provide them with guidance, encouragement, and real-world insights.

Students explore career paths, build life and job skills, participate in workshops, attend college and career tours, and create personalized academic and career plans. The organization also has a continuation program for the students when they enter college or a skilled trades school.

Local businessman Sam Cupp created Winning Futures in 1994. At the awards ceremony, Winning Futures President and CEO Kristina Marshall said that Cupp had some issues while attending Warren High School. There were concerns that he would not graduate on time, but once he obtained an after-school co-op job at the Hamilton Chevrolet car dealership in Warren and passed all his classes, he received his diploma.

“He started as a porter, cleaning cars, moving cars and that was in the mid-to-late ’60s,” Marshall said. “Fast forward 30 years to the mid-’90s and Sam owned that car dealership and 27 companies around the world. He attributed that success to a teacher, a mentor and a counselor coming together to support him and that’s why we have Winning Futures today.”

Marshall was a senior at Warren Mott High School in 1994 when she had the same marketing teacher Cupp had. Cupp also mentored her in the Winning Futures program. Warren High School is now the Warren Community Center. Cupp died in 2012, but his presence was felt during the award ceremony. One by one, Marshall called up each student scholarship winner, their mentor and businesses that provided sponsorships.

When Community High School senior Kaldia Yousef came to the podium to accept her award, she said she really didn’t have any career goals until she joined Winning Futures. Community High School is located in Sterling Heights and is part of the Warren Consolidated Schools district.

“Since joining Winning Futures, they’ve helped me connect with so many people. They’ve (taught) me the importance of setting career goals and they’ve been a huge part of my life,” Yousef said. “I just want to say ‘thank you’ to my mentor, Maria Cook. She helped me through everything.”

Warren Mott High School student Emike Bell plans to become a chemical engineer.

“I thank Torri Garland for being my mentor. She has helped me be more active towards goals that I’ve had for years now, helped me get out of my comfort zone, and has reassured me to not be afraid to speak what may be on my mind,” Bell said. “I thank my family, teachers and Winning Futures staff for making me the person I am today. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.”

Wayne State University senior Shanaz Munni, an alumnus of Warren Mott, is majoring in computer science.

“This scholarship means a lot to me because it motivates me to keep working hard towards my dream, break every obstacle and go for it,” Munni said. “Thank you so much for believing in me.”

Warren Mott High School graduate Rei Struga, now a college student at WSU, gave Marshall a hug before addressing the crowd. He thanked his current mentor Andy Makar, his family, the Winning Futures staff and God.

The other high school and continuing education scholarship recipients were Aniya Alexander, Danyella Amison, Jamari Gary and Marvin McCallum, from Cass Technical High School in Detroit; Korey Colton from Communication and Media Arts High School in Detroit; Terryn Thomas, from Harper Woods High School; and Ashley Chavez-Gonzalez, Jeremy Singleton and Jason Gillow, from Pontiac Academy for Excellence.

Chavez-Gonzalez also received the 2025 $1,000 Melvin Akins Memorial Scholarship. Akins was a Winning Futures student, mentored by Kevin Sutton at Warren Mott. Sutton and his wife, Lauren, created the Melvin Akins Memorial Scholarship in his memory.

The following Continuing Education students also were awarded: Ivory Brown, Central State University, Harper Woods High School; Jayla Sanders, Tennessee State University, Cass Tech High School; and Shania Dean-Motley, Tennessee State University, Harper Woods High School.

The following students were recognized for graduating from a continuing education program: Chelton-Estelle Ali-Watkins, WSU, Harper Woods High School; Jocelin Cardenas, WSU, International Technology Academy; Nia Coleman, Michigan State University, Cass Technical High School; Ryen Dann, Oakland Community College, Warren Mott High School; Paris Ellis, Hope College, Harper Woods High School; Joshua Hudson, University of Michigan, Harper Woods High School; Jessica Taylor, OCC, Madison High School; and Lilly Zubeck, Macomb Community College, Warren Mott High School.

Several local businesspeople also were recognized for their five, 10, or 15 years of volunteer career mentor service.

For more information about Winning Futures, go to winningfutures.org, email info@WinningFutures.org or call (248) 329-0905.