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METRO DETROIT — The year 2025 is going to be picture perfect for Durell Thomas Jr.
At press time, the 2022 Harper Woods High School graduate had started his new position as an intern for the Arizona Diamondbacks, based in Phoenix. Thomas, 21, will document the team’s season taking videos and photos of Major League Baseball players.
As a content creator, he’ll capture all the highlights and those historic moments that will remain frozen in time: the star athletes at bat, in spring training, warming up at game time, hitting line drives, running bases, catching fly balls and more. Thomas also will chronicle those special moments of the team mingling with fans and celebrating big victories.
“I’m so excited,” he said. “I can’t wait to get started. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time.”
Thomas, who grew up in Detroit, moved to the Southwest about three years ago to enroll at Arizona State University in Tempe. He made several connections and landed an internship on the school’s sports media team where he creates video content for the university’s athletic games, including the ASU Sun Devils football team.
As a sports journalism major, Thomas started working as a content developer for the sports media company, TummClouTv Sports Media. His ultimate goal is to work for a professional sports team as a videographer in any of the four pro leagues: the NFL, NBA, NHL or MLB. While football is “the sport I love the most, I just want to be able to create content for any professional team,” Thomas said.
Thomas is applying himself through the skills he learned in the Winning Futures Workforce Prep program when attending high school. Winning Futures connects high school students with local professionals who mentor them and help them develop life skills, learn job readiness strategies, explore career options, and set academic and career goals. Local businessman Sam Cupp started the program in 1994. He died in 2012, and others have carried on his legacy including President and CEO Kristina Marshall and Director of Engagement Chris Cahill.
Mentors undergo training and work with groups of students. Community High School in Sterling Heights, Warren Mott High School in Warren, Harper Woods High School, Hazel Park High School, Cass Technical High School in Detroit and Detroit’s Communication & Media Arts High School are the schools involved with Winning Futures.
During his sophomore year in high school, Thomas was paired with mentor Clarence Martin. For several months, Martin met with his group of students via Zoom because of the COVID-19 pandemic. At first, Thomas didn’t seem very motivated and “not super excited.”
“He was in his bed and the lights would be off,” said Martin, a West Bloomfield Township resident. “There were those kids who made me try to really engage with them.”
Eventually, “His energy would pick up,” Martin said.
Martin, 50, brings his own experiences to the table when mentoring students.
“If I could talk to myself as a 10th or 11th grader now,” Martin said he would tell himself “You have to work hard when you’re young. Investing in yourself is the payment for the rest of your lifetime. When you have goals, time is your friend.”
That’s something he always stressed to Thomas. Martin also has the students make a dream board so they can “embrace and recognize the opportunities they have.” In 2014, Martin celebrated 10 years as a Winning Futures mentor. He is a senior advisor at LM Automotive, LLC in Detroit.
“He taught me the importance of setting goals, having discipline, finding my passion and to trust the process. I learned simple life skills,” Thomas said.
“Grind while you’re young,” was Martin’s catch phrase for Thomas and it stuck.
“I feel Winning Futures instilled confidence in you to achieve and bring opportunities even if they feel out of touch,” Thomas added. The whole staff, they were like family to me.”
“None of us have gotten to where we are without help from someone else,” Martin said. “Why not return the favor? This is how we put good energy out. It’s very rewarding. The big wins are the wins.”
Thomas has always been a sports fanatic: football, basketball, baseball and hockey. One pastime was playing football as a kid and preteen. But during the summer after eighth grade, he underwent spinal fusion surgery and dealt with scoliosis.
“I couldn’t play football anymore,” he said.
But he got back in the game albeit in a different form: behind the lens. When he came across a camera that once belonged to his dad, Thomas found a new passion. He soon began taking photos and videos of his friends as they scored touchdowns, dribbled basketballs and more.
“They were very supportive to take this full throttle,” Thomas said. “It’s just a love for the game.”
“We’re going to see a lot from Durell,” Martin said. “I think he’s going to be running that department in a short amount of time.”
To view Thomas’ work, visit jetsetdt.myportfolio.com/work.
The Winning Futures office is located in Troy. For more information about the nonprofit organization, visit winningfutures.org, call (586) 294-8449 or email Info@WinningFutures.org.
