Former Ilitch Interns Standout as C’2019 Cass Technical Valedictorians, University of Michigan Freshmen
Cass Technical High School alumnae Jaleah Green and Riley Grice were admitted to University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, having already earned corporate internship experience and professional skills - thanks in part to the Ilitch organization.
This summer, Green and Grice walked the stage at Ford Field as two of nine co-valedictorians at the high school. Both young women were among the 24 interns that completed the high school internship program at Ilitch Holdings, Inc. in 2018. The program, which recently celebrated its 5-year anniversary, continues to give Detroit students hands-on experience and an opportunity to learn new skills at world-class companies such as Olympia Entertainment, the Detroit Tigers and Little Caesars.
Jaleah Green, a full scholarship recipient, now attends the university’s Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design. The freshman BFA candidate said she will seek a position as an Interaction Designer upon graduation. Grice will join her fellow Technician in Ann Arbor next year and will begin studies in Graphic Design and Illustration.
The native Detroiters are no strangers to the valedictorian title—they have been at the top of their class throughout their academic careers and both plan to operate their own businesses someday.
Grice credits her internship in Guest Experience at Olympia Entertainment with helping her determine her current career aspirations as she prepared for college. “I learned the importance of being well rounded and forming business connections, as well as how to conduct myself in a professional setting,” Grice said.
With a creative mind and interest in graphic design, Riley helped design products and employee certificates and documented positive guest feedback through surveys and writing. She excelled academically while taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses throughout her tenure at Cass Tech.
Green, during her internship at Ilitch Holdings, worked in the communications and marketing department at Olympia Development of Michigan, helping the team behind The District Detroit.
In addition to her full-time internship at Olympia Development, she also held a part-time job at the Live Cycle Delight fitness studio in the city’s West Village, completed a competitive graphic design program for college-bound students at the College for Creative Studies and participated in a multi-day High School Journalism Workshop (JSHOP) led by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) during its 40###sup/sup### annual Convention & Career Fair in downtown Detroit. At the NABJ event, Green wrote stories on deadline and even interviewed Detroit native, journalist/podcaster and former ESPN host Jemele Hill.
About The District Detroit
Home to the Detroit Tigers, the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Pistons and the Detroit Lions, The District Detroit is the epicenter of sports and entertainment in the heart of the city and includes seven incredible theaters. It is the densest concentration of the four major sports teams in any urban core in the country. It is a place with something for everyone fueling Detroit’s resurgence and attracting new investment in the city. Anchored by Comerica Park and the historic Fox Theatre, The District Detroit is home to the award-winning Little Caesars Arena, the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University and the new Little Caesars world headquarters campus expansion. Little Caesars Arena features four shopping and dining establishments: Mike’s Pizza Bar, Sports & Social Detroit, Kid Rock’s Made in Detroit, District Market and Team Store—as well as office space for Google, 313 Presents and the Detroit Red Wings. New businesses coming to The District Detroit include Tin Roof Detroit, The M Den, Frita Batidos, Rush Bowls, Sahara Restaurant and Grill, Union Joints, Detroit Medical Center and Warner Norcross & Judd. The District Detroit has brought more than 20,000 construction and construction-related jobs and 3,000 permanent jobs for Detroiters and Michiganders to this area of the city, resulting in an estimated $2.1 billion in total economic impact.