Aim High

Holly Arida is an entrepreneur turned Cranbrook teacher, and now, a Director of a non-profit that is a talent pipeline for Detroit youth. Holly looks back at her 20 year storied career here at Cranbrook and her many partnerships at the school that led to exciting learning opportunities for teachers and students.

We will also hear from Jace Danielewicz CK'22 and Victor Berger CK'22, two co-founders of YouthTank Detroit, the social enterprise launched by Holly with students in her entrepreneurship classes to provide alternate career pathways for high school students in the city.

YouthTank is a startup incubator for high school student-led businesses in Detroit. In their after-school and summer programs, young entrepreneurs actually test their business ideas and flex career-ready skills though action-based learning. 

Aim High is a production of Cranbrook Kingswood School and is produced by University FM.

24:11 - When thinking about the entrepreneurial idea you want to pursue, ask yourself, "What breaks your heart?" And what breaks my heart is when young people don't realize their potential. Because either, the system inequities, that goes for students with learning differences as well. A lot of different kind of inequities need an education built for them to succeed. And to have those opportunities to believe in themselves and stretch themselves. I think that's made a difference in anybody's life.

25:11 - Clearing the way is a responsibility we all have. Every young person, I fervently believe, deserves an education that works for them. And it's been great working with Cranbrook students to see that happen.

On doing work that brings people together

16:02 - Cranbrook was built out of the ingenuity and wealth of the city in many ways. We were wanting to draw attention to that connection. I think a lot of my work was about bringing people together that might not be together.

On the intentions of Youth Tank

29:40 [Jace ‘22] Our intention is to supply students in Detroit and kids in general with the necessary skills to be entrepreneurs. So, what is seen as the average path for people in our area is middle school, high school, then college, then get a job. And that average path doesn't work for every kid, especially every kid in Detroit.

Holly Arida, Educator & Entrepreneur-in-Residence

Combining my entrepreneurial business career with my role as an educator, I've mentored thousands of students in real-world skills and leadership. Recently, I worked alongside industrious high school students to design of our new student-led business incubator: YouthTank.  

Our social enterprise operates at the nexus of community, business, innovation and education. We are grateful for the warm welcome we received in the city of Detroit. YouthTank is proud to partner with people and organizations who share our belief that the next generation are ready create, lead, and contribute to society, NOW. I am happiest when I am working with kids in my hometown of Detroit.  

Jace Danielewicz

Jace graduated from Cranbrook in 2022. He is currently at the College of Creative Studies, studying transportation design.

Victor Berger

Victor graduated from Cranbrook in 2022. He is a Business Major at the Miami University of Ohio. 

Working in a family business can be challenging. But when both your parents are entrepreneurs, its kind of inevitable. Jason Eddleston, business runs through the family. 

Jason was a state championship lacrosse player and Cranbrook lifer, and he is now the VP of Operations at the company his parents started in the 1970s Sterling Oil. He is also the current owner of Ray's Ice Cream in Royal Oak, Michigan, a staple in the community since 1958.

With host Robert Li, Jason talks about balancing work & life in a family business, how he got into world of ice cream, and how he manages these two very different companies. 

Aim High is a production of Cranbrook Kingswood School and is produced by University FM.

19:13 - What I've learned a lot about Ray's business is that people, especially non-perishable vendors, are taking advantage of the business. And I wanted to bring my own team of people that I could depend upon. And would realize that this is a community-based business, and if you're working with us as a vendor, a contractor, or a supplier, then you need to understand that we're here for the community.

16:57 - I enjoy the amount of knowledge that I consistently absorb on a day-to-day basis that helps me in running my businesses and helps me make the proper decisions to make sure those businesses are being run accordingly.

Taking lessons from Jason family’s business

29:04 - I realized that when you run a company, you have to work based upon the skills and strengths, and weaknesses of your employees or the other individuals in the organization on the same level. And going about trying to change how people work and do business sometimes can be very counterproductive to the whole. To this day, we work very well together, but we still don't always agree.

How do you know if you’re winning in business

18:08 - When it comes to the business world, winning is very subjective, but I feel like when you're taking something and expanding upon it and you're getting a lot of positive feedback from employees and from customers in the community, then I think you realize that you are winning and you are doing something very successful.

• Jason Eddleston on LinkedIn
• Sterling Oil
• Ray's Ice Cream

Debbie Calfin recently retired after spending 37 years teaching a range of grades at Cranbrook Brookside, with most of them spent teaching 2nd grade. 

Host Qadir Muhammad sits down with Debbie as she reflects on her career and time at Cranbrook: teaching elementary school through COVID, cultivating a classroom environment that stimulates growth, Grandparent’s Day, and shares some advice for the next generation of teachers. 

Aim High is a production of Cranbrook Kingswood School and is produced by University FM.

EPISODE QUOTES:

Demonstrating passion in teaching

11:47 - I think that I, as a teacher, had to demonstrate my passion for whatever we were doing. My investment in it, I had to be interested in it, whatever it would be, and bring them into it as well. And the other piece for my classrooms is always is the ability to know that they don't have to know everything right away.

The impact of teaching to the children

17:34 - Teaching may look easy, but it's not. But it's the best job you could have. To be able to spend time with children knowing that you are making a difference in their lives is huge.

One of the magical things about Cranbrook Brookside

27:07 - One of the other things that I love about Cranbrook Brookside is the yearly chapels and the plays that each grade level puts on. Because I've seen it myself where children that are very shy and not really confident start in the first grade, and by the fifth grade, they're often one of the leads of the play. And it carries over to their confidence in front of a group, you know, working collaboratively to put on the production doing the music. The fine arts teachers, especially the music and drama teachers, were just extraordinary in that way.

Give value first and lead with gratitude, always. That has been Arsh Shah’s motto when it comes to his adventurous career path.

So it's no surprise that Arsh has accomplished a lot since his Cranbrook graduation. In the last 11 years, he has already founded three companies, spanning the entertainment, entrepreneurship & tech industries (GlassLink, The Cr8 Group, /Six).

Arsh takes some time out of his hectic schedule to chat with host Robert Li about getting into the world of NFTs and blockchains, all of the sports and activities he was a part of here at Cranbrook, and we learn a bit more about the companies Arsh has started. 

Aim High is a production of Cranbrook Kingswood School and is produced by University FM. 

• LinkedIn
• [email protected]
• GlassLink
• The Cr8 Group
• /Six

03:47 - Being outspoken has actually created humility because I've realized how fortunate I've been to have Cranbrook, one as a founding base, and two, like all of the academic and professional experiences that I've built, if there's anything I've learned from being able to lead teams, lead companies, and get into ventures, it's all about people, right? And I've put myself last. I've put myself last before teams. I've put myself last before peers because I think where I really find value is seeing other people succeed.

16:33 - It's not about scalability. I would rather have an impact across a very small community and do something phenomenal for very few people that have less of an impact across a larger community.

Being selfless creates growth

27:29 - To me, being able to instill that potential in someone that doesn't see it in themselves yet, is really how I'm going to help. We do that with GlassLink™️. We do that for potential clients. And now I'm doing it for somebody that I'm mentoring. And so aiming high to me is, yes, one innovation, professional success. Hopefully, at some point, financial success. But being selfless, because that's what creates growth. That's what inspires people. And ultimately, that's what creates happiness.

Dr. Elizabeth Ryan is a sophomore history teacher at Cranbrook, and former Head House advisor for eight years.

Dr. Ryan was actually host Qadir Muhammad’s history teacher when he was a student! She sits down with him today to catch up and chat about her fav classes to teach, her class project on the history of feminism at Cranbrook, her journey to a teaching career, as well as teaching through Covid and getting kids caught up after those strange, virtual years.

Aim High is a production of Cranbrook Kingswood School and is produced by University FM.

Feminist Thought Class Goes Back in Time

18:14 - Some people really like to be lectured to and told information. Other people find that boring, right? Some people like the videos; some people don't like group work. One of the keys to me is to try and figure out for each student what they seem to like, what they seem to gravitate towards, and mix things up. I try to mix things up throughout the year, so we're not always doing the same thing. And I try not to give work that is superfluous. If I tell those students, if I'm giving you some homework, it's because I think you need it for either the content or the skill, right? Because that's really what school is about: content and skills.

32:05 - It's okay to fail. It's okay to do it wrong the first time to learn how to do it. You don't have to be perfect, but you certainly don't have to be perfect the first time you learn something.

Teaching is more than just grading papers

30:56 - Any teacher who loves teaching—that's what they'll tell you, right? It's not grading papers. I like lesson planning, but it's not lesson planning. You know, it's seeing your students do interesting things and become the people they are meant to be.

Developing your aesthetic judgment by asking the right questions

05:55 - The students are interested in things they can see around them, like impacting them at school, and sports tend to be one that most students have encountered. Something to do with gender and sports—I hear all kinds of interesting, weird things from these kids, but it's stuff that they experienced.

Daniel Jefferson is the founder of Black Brook roughly 19 years ago, which continues to function as Cranbrook's answer to a black alumni association He also served as a former Cranbrook African-American Awareness Association President.

Now a days, Daniel lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is an IT director at Charter Communications, specializing in database management. He also runs an entertainment business called Got Jokes.

He sits down with host Robert Li to talk about finding his place at Cranbrook, their shared experiences of finding and exploring identity on campus, and how Daniel learned to advocate for himself and others. 

Aim High is a production of Cranbrook Kingswood School and is produced by University FM.

Daniel Jefferson is the founder of Black Brook roughly 19 years ago, which continues to function as Cranbrook's answer to a black alumni association He also served as a former Cranbrook African-American Awareness Association President.

Nowadays, Daniel lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is an IT director at Charter Communications, specializing in database management. He also runs an entertainment business called Got Jokes.

[email protected]

On learning to appreciate differences rather than trying to act like they don't exist

11:49 - When I talk about my Cranbrook experience, it evolved over time. You know, it was innocence, then anger, then some empathy, where I started to get better at understanding a little bit more of where we come to the middle, and my junior and senior years were probably the biggest for me because, living in the dorms, I eventually became head RA. I had conversations with people from all over the world; (12:34) I did a lot of listening, and then I realized the commonalities, and then my anger started to subside a bit. And then, it became more about understanding that there is power in being able to figure out what connects us, and even then, I had a stronger feeling of where diversity fits. Because it's not about saying that people are different, it's more so about appreciating differences than trying to act like they don't exist.

27:25 - One of the things that became very important to me, especially when talking to other students, and one of the reasons why I started Black Brook, is I wanted people of color who went through Cranbrook's door to feel like they had citizen ownership and that this was their place.

From uncertainties to building an effective community

29:05 - Building an effective community is to make sure that everybody has a voice. Under no situations, I felt like I didn't have control. I think the reason why I haven't done much after that is for those particular, is because they don't control me anymore. They don't defy me. There is something that I took, and I use it as power, and I use it to help people. So the outcome is great.

Growing up in Detroit, Kamau Williams ‘90 never saw himself at a place like Cranbrook. But with the help of the Horizons Upward Bound or HUB Program, he acquired a scholarship and spent the last two years of his high school journey at Cranbrook. 

He joins host Robert Li to chat about his first memories of stepping onto campus, finding his people at Cranbrook through HUB & 4A programs, memories from his time on the football team. and how his community supported him to keep pursuing opportunities at Cranbrook.

Kamau is a former physical education teacher and currently works for Delta Airlines. He also serves on the Cranbrook School Board of Governors in the HUB Governor Position. 

• Kamau Williams on LinkedIn

03:04 - You see the names on the wall in there of all the people with the academic pros from the thirties and forties and you're like, wow, what did they do to get their name up there? And it's all this beautiful wood and you see the stage. And that was my first impression, just shock and awe quite honestly.

16:30 - Be more fearless. Be a lot more fearless. You feel like something's wrong? Speak up a little bit more.

21:36 - It's a grand opportunity to be seen and be that example for the students that are there and let them know, "Hey, a kid from Detroit who had no idea he'd ever be here is here." So no matter where you're from, you can do it. We’re here to support you mentally and physically.

While studying architecture at the University of Michigan, photography was just a hobby for Adam Wells. But it was while he was working at marketing job right after college that he realized this could be a full-time career.

But even before all that, Adam says his time at Cranbrook, where creativity and the arts are fostered, was a crucial starting point on the road to becoming a full-time photographer.

Adam Wells is an ex jock & Cranbrook hockey player, and currently works as a freelance brand narrative and lifestyle photographer, having worked with names like REI, Clif Bars, and Cotopaxi.

He joins host Qadir to discuss curating online portfolios & freelance work, analog vs digital cameras, and looking back on the nuances of Cranbrook’s architecture.

• [email protected]
• Adam Wells on LinkedIn
• Adam Wells on Instagram
• Adam Wells on Facebook

05:54 - I think that's the creative process, is just being comfortable in the uncertainty of trying to create something and hoping that it's gonna succeed. That your idea is gonna come to life in this beautiful fashion. 

07:10 - The more developed that relationship is that you have with your tools, the easier it is to express yourself through them.

17:06 - I'm honestly really resistant to saying [photography] is something I'm doing for the rest of my life, because I'm still 30 and I'm hoping I've got a good 60 years ahead. And if at any point I feel like it's time to pivot and explore new things, I think it's great to keep an open mind and stay flexible.

Michael St. Germain (‘10) has been both in the Army Reserve as an army aviator for 860 Blackhawks and C-2 Hurons, as well as working for Google ever since graduating college. 

He is currently a product business development manager focused on Android automotive navigation and maps. Growing up outside of Detroit, he says the car industry is just in his blood.

Michael sits down with Robert to talk about his time in the Army Reserves and how it made him more grateful for time spent at home, the crutch of being too comfortable, boarding for 4 full years and how Cranbrook prepped him for life & crisis.

Michael St. Germain has been both in the Army Reserve as an army aviator for 860 Blackhawks and C-2 Hurons, as well as working for Google ever since graduating college. He is currently a product business development manager at Google focused on Android automotive navigation and maps.

• Michael St. Germain on LinkedIn
• Michael St. Germain on Twitter

14:01 - You naturally begin to make friends with each other. Cause you're all kind of moored on an island that's foreign to almost everyone. And so it's a big bonding experience for a lot of people. And I think I learned a lot about friendship and the importance of friendship through relying on each other when you guys, when you had no one else to rely on except your friends.

01:21 - I think just building partnerships between leading edge technology companies like Google and what I might call legacy industries or older industries, where there's a lot of opportunity to use technology that's being developed in Silicon valley and bringing it to other parts of the economy is really exciting.

24:51 - I think anyone who says that they don't fear failure is probably lying to themselves. I think the key though is that reminding yourself that if and when you fail, which everyone will. You have a track record of overcoming it. So in some ways failing more times makes you more confident about going through failure.

If you’ve seen The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Treasure Planet, or The Princess and the Frog, you've seen some of our guest’s writing work.

Rob Edwards is a screenwriter. After Cranbrook, he went on to major in film at Syracuse University, and is now living in Beverly Hills. He also works as an adjunct professor for Syracuse University’s Los Angeles program. 

He sits down with Robert and talks about the teachers at Cranbrook who inspired him to pursue his creative dreams, learning to read and appreciate literature at Cranbrook, tenacity, and collaboration in writing rooms.

Rob Edwards has been writing for film and television for the last 30 years. He is an Emmy-nominated writer whose credits include Full House, In Living Color, Roc and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. His work in animated feature writing includes Disney’s Oscar-nominated The Princess and the Frog and Treasure Planet.

• Rob Edwards on LinkedIn
• Rob Edwards on Twitter
• Rob Edwards on Facebook

Rob’s approach to screenwriting

15:02 - You should be delighting yourself all the way through it, and really making your own favorite movie. So that you yourself are crying when you see it. And you yourself laughing at all the jokes and you yourself are truly identifying with the story. If you've done that, if you've truly pleased yourself, then chances are, you've also pleased your friends and probably your family and by extension, you know, 500 million other people will have a similar experience.

How Rob finds the drive to keep writing

30:44 - That lure is always there for me. I want to die with my boots on, so I'm like -I love the challenge of new stuff. And, just seeing if I can break news stories. I love telling stories. I love breaking the structure of it.

On finding motivation at Cranbrook

26:32 - Everybody that I knew was super driven. You didn't find a lot of guys who would just give up on stuff. Everybody was really competitive and it was good for me.

Collaboration and drawing inspiration from your own history

18:44 - It's the joy of the process. It's really teamwork. Its best where you're kind of sharing souls in order to tell a really great story. Another fun thing that happens is, in order to get to those places, you wind up really sharing intimate stories about your own past. Why these things are important to you and why you want to tell the story in a certain way.