DETROIT – Boxes of milk cartons, bread, fresh tomatoes and other kitchen staples were piled high outside Jalen Rose Leadership Academy on a cold Wednesday morning in early March.


As dozens of cars lined up outside the high school for the weekly food drive sponsored by Forgotten Harvest, a Detroit-based nonprofit fighting food insecurity, the student volunteers were joined by some of their Platinum Equity mentors.


Together, the group laughed, shared stories and helped load groceries into cars. The volunteer event was an outgrowth of the Platinum Equity-sponsored mentorship program for JRLA, which began the previous day.


The program serves as an annual kickoff to a series of mentorship outreach opportunities with the JRLA senior class that culminates with graduation exercises in June. Platinum Equity plans to award $50,000 in scholarships to JRLA seniors as part of the program, doubling last’s year’s total of $25,000.


Platinum Equity Vice President Michael Lag, who helped out at the food drive and served as a mentor, said the experience is rewarding.


“This is the second year for me, and I really get a lot out of it, probably more than the actual mentees that I will eventually work with,” Lag said. “It’s a really nice way to bring a community together and help kids in their journey, especially in high school.”


The importance of mentorship


Programming started the day before at the Henry Ford-Detroit Pistons Performance Center in the New Center neighborhood of Detroit.


Influenced by Platinum Equity CEO and Pistons Owner Tom Gores’ desire to make an impact in the city of Detroit, and his personal relationship with Rose, the school’s founder, Platinum Equity introduced the mentorship program in 2022 after serving as the longtime presenting sponsor for the school’s annual golf fundraiser, which will be held May 19.


“Whether it’s the golf outing, food drive or the mentorship event, you can always talk about helping, but traveling to Detroit, going to the school to see the impact of this program allows you to see how this work is worthwhile,” Platinum Equity Executive Assistant Kaulyn Lee-McNeill said. “This really solidifies our partnership, makes it more down to earth at the human level.”


This year, 18 professionals from Platinum Equity and five Pistons employees supported the program with several traveling from out of state to attend the event. For Executive Assistant Alexandra Reyna, a new hire based in Los Angeles, it served as an opportunity to meet some of her colleagues and mentor students.


“I’ve had a lot of really significant people in my life who have helped shape who I am today,” Reyna said. “And so, for me, it’s very important to pass that along since it was so freely given to me.”


The day officially started when buses picked up students at the school located in Rose’s old neighborhood in northwest Detroit. After a period of mingling with Platinum Equity and Pistons mentors, a speed networking exercise was held with mentees. Students and mentors sat at different tables with each table featuring a stack of questions written on cards. Then students rotated tables to interact with the different mentors.


Best friends since first grade, Icesis Morris and Rashaad Williams sat next to each other as they got to know each mentor.


“It was very fun, and I met so many different kinds of individuals here,” Morris said. “They’re really nice and everyone is incredibly intelligent and have so much information to share with us.”


Before the event, Platinum Equity announced it was awarding five $10,000 scholarships. After the day, mentors and mentees were asked to fill out questionnaires geared toward finding a match. Once matched, Platinum Equity and Pistons mentors recently submitted a short essay to advocate for mentees to earn scholarships. Administrators at JRLA will review and make the final selection for each award.


“Platinum Equity’s time and money allows us to do college visits, help with transportation and ensures that the young people have what they need to register for classes or fulfill any gaps that they might have once they start college,” Rose said.
For Lag, who traveled from Chicago to support the program, supporting the mentees as they embark on the next chapter in their lives is very important to him.


“I have older children, and they’re not high school age anymore, but they’re close enough where I feel like I could still help somebody in their decision making like I help my children so it’s a way for me to give back, and I find great value in it,” Lag said.
After the mentorship exercise, the students received a tour of the PPC, which serves as the Pistons’ corporate headquarters. The students received a behind-the-scenes look at Pistons business operations to show career options in professional sports. There was of course time for getting up shots up on the practice court.


“We met a lot of dope people that work behind the scenes,” Williams said. “They were genuine, and we walked around, got to meet them and see smiling faces everywhere.”


Then it was time for the game-night experience.


Students sat courtside for players’ pregame workouts. The JRLA group received a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of an NBA game before the group was escorted to the Owner’s Suite, which was filled with game-night favorites like chicken wings, pizza, macaroni and cheese, candy and cookies. Rose, along with Pistons dancers and mascot Hooper, dropped by during the game.


“Without Tom Gores and his wife, Holly, we wouldn’t be in the position we’re in,” Rose said. “So many people flew in from different parts of the country to come support what we are doing at JRLA and in 14 years in existence, as the founder of an open enrollment, tuition-free, public charter high school, I’m just so very grateful to have Platinum Equity’s support.”

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