My involvement with the Detroit Public Schools Foundation started in a time of emotional crisis.
When I found out that my alma mater, Cass Tech, was being torn down, I felt like a piece of me might be torn down with it. So, I reached out to the Foundation to buy a brick so I could have a tangible way to remember the terrific experience I enjoyed in high school and the career and memories that experience helped to create.
I graduated from Cass Tech in 1964 and went on to graduate from Wayne State University and enter a career in science research and education. Today, I am a professor and department chairperson at Wayne State and I fondly look back at my time in that old 1,000,000 square-foot building on Second Avenue as the experience that shaped who I am today. The reputation and tradition of Cass Tech is second to none.
If you’re an alumnus curious about reconnecting, I recommend visiting the new web site www.dpsalumni.org, which is organized by the Foundation. I really believe that getting back in touch with old friends and getting involved with current student programs helps you live longer. Getting in touch with memories and getting together with people provides energy that adds to your life. For me, sharing photos and finding out where classmates are now has been a wonderful experience.
In that emotional time when Detroit was losing the original Cass Tech, the Foundation helped me celebrate my personal history by selling the commemorative bricks that support current DPS programs and students. I keep my brick on the mantle in my home, where I can see it every day. At the same time, I feel good knowing the Foundation is helping today’s students prepare for a successful future.