Platinum Equity Celebrates Graduating JRLA Seniors, Announces Scholarship Recipients

DEARBORN, Mich. – After weeks of meetings, advice and mentoring from Platinum Equity representatives, the day had finally arrived for the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy senior class.

Adorned in personally decorated caps and gowns, applause erupted throughout the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center as the 2026 JRLA senior class graduated in early June. Employees from the Platinum Equity-sponsored mentorship program joined the celebration.

“My mentee (Aniya Davis) and I developed a really great relationship throughout these past few months,” Platinum Equity Director Hannah Jiang said at graduation. “I nominated her for the Platinum Equity scholarship, and I was really happy when she won it.

“I felt I needed to be here today and support her and see her off on next journey.”

For the second consecutive year, Platinum Equity awarded $50,000 in scholarships to five program participants. This year’s recipients are Davis, Rodney Steele, Dhakiyah Ali, Tony Crawford and Messiah Bethel.

“I was not expecting the scholarship, and I’m so glad I wasn’t,” said Davis, who plans to attend Eastern Michigan University in the fall. “I’m so very grateful, it’s my first ever scholarship that I’ve won.”

Influenced by Platinum Equity Founder and CEO Tom Gores’ commitment to make an impact in the community, and his personal relationship with Rose, JRLA’s founder, the firm introduced the mentorship program in 2022 after serving as the longtime presenting sponsor for the school’s annual golf fundraiser, which will be held July 27.

JRLA is an open enrollment, tuition-free public charter high school, which opened in September 2011. The school currently serves more than 400 9th-12th grade students as well as nearly 1,000 alumni from metro Detroit.

Crawford plans to attend Michigan State University for engineering in the fall.

“Even though I’m an athlete, education comes first – with the $10,000 scholarship I will probably be using that toward books and extra programs I have to get into,” Crawford said.

This year’s program began in April with a food giveaway at the school located in the northwest Detroit neighborhood. A networking exercise at the Henry Ford-Pistons Performance Center where mentors and mentees were matched followed, and the group was treated to a Pistons game from Gores’ private suite at Little Caesars Arena. This year, Gores greeted the students before the game.

Since its inception, the program has impacted high school seniors annually and created lasting relationships beyond graduation.

“I found at this stage in my career, I really want to give back, and this is a great way to do that,” Platinum Equity Senior Vice President Michael Lag said. “If someone wants my help or is looking for advice, I’m very happy to do that because I feel like I have that to give.”

He added: “I do it with my children who I’ve gotten through college which has been relatively recent, so this keep me current and helps me stay involved with where people are and what they’re going through.”