Renee Fluker provides life-changing programming and experiences for 250 local youths annually. And in most cases that is just the beginning of the positive impact she will have on each young person.
Scott Talley , Detroit Free Press
Ordinarily, an organization that has helped more than 5,000 deserving local students continue their education beyond high school and succeed in life would require no introduction to the community.
But in the case of the resourceful nonprofit founded and run by native Detroiter Renee Fluker since 2001, a reintroduction of sorts is in order.
That’s because Fluker’s successful, celebrated and revered Midnight Golf Program has a new name — College Career & Beyond (CCB).
“Nothing has changed when it comes to being fully invested in the lives of each young person that enters our program,” explained Fluker, whose program focuses on mentoring and positive personal transformation — along with golf lessons — for roughly 250 high school seniors annually that have an opportunity to stay connected to the program for life. “We have always stayed with our young people through college, into the workplace and beyond, and our new name reflects the complete journey. We also hope the new name will help us to attract new supporters and contributors, which will allow us to broaden our impact.”
And there are even more new happenings taking place with CCB, which will fully come to life when the nonprofit begins scheduled programming in February from a new Detroit home at 7441 Second Ave. The address and the building that occupies the space at the southwest corner of Second and Bethune Street may be new to CCB, but it is deeply rooted in Detroit history as the former home of one of Detroit’s pioneering television stations WJBK-TV from 1956 to 1971, as well as the broadcasting headquarters of WTVS-Channel 56, Detroit’s Public Television station, from 1971 into the 1990s.
“We are moving into a building that was made for storytelling and development, and that is what will continue to take place through our programming,” said Allysa Cole, a proud member of the Midnight Golf Program Class of 2011 while attending Cass Technical High School, who today is lending her professional communications skills to support the rebranding of an organization that enriched her life immensely. “With this program, we know the high school seniors are going to receive high-quality programs (for 30 weeks), and learn life skills throughout the year and go on a college tour. And when each graduating class leaves our new building and goes out into the world, they will tell and represent their own stories, which will be stories of kindness, compassion, hard work and purpose.”
Fluker reports that grant support from the Republic Services Charitable Foundation, along with volunteer support from Republic Services employees, has recently played a significant role in making her nonprofit’s move to its new headquarters in Detroit’s New Center area a reality.
“Thanks to this partnership, we now have a centrally located, functional space that encourages collaboration, learning and growth,” Fluker said of the partnership with Republic Services, which has included volunteer support from employees who have assembled furniture, organized spaces and performed other tasks to prepare the building for operations. “This is more than just a historic building (added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016), it’s a symbol of the opportunities we are creating for Detroit’s future leaders.”
Throughout the history of Fluker’s organization, leaning on her ingenuity and the support of community partners, programming for students — including those golf lessons — has been conducted at a variety of sites, including the Franklin-Wright Settlements, Northwest Activities Center and Marygrove. Fluker says the ongoing renovation of the historic WJBK-TV building that will give CCB its own state-of-the-art home for student programming and administrative operations is part of a $13 million restoration project that her nonprofit still is raising funds for to complete. However, when Fluker and Cole shared stories last Tuesday evening about how Fluker’s program has impacted local youths, Cole spoke passionately about a much smaller amount of money within a package that all program recipients receive at an important time in their lives.
“After you go off to college, in November, before you take your finals, you receive a care package from the program,” explained Cole, who began her college journey at Michigan State before transferring to the University of Southern Mississippi, where she graduated with a dual degree in broadcast journalism, and foreign language and literature with a Spanish concentration. “When you open that box, the first things you see are a bag of Better Made potato chips, so you’re immediately feeling that connection to Detroit. And then you see a roll of quarters, which can be really hard to come by when you’re away at college.
“But what everything in the package really said was that someone cared about me, and someone cared about how I was feeling while I was away from my parents and my community for the first time.”
And Cole says it is the “caring” and “family” approach that makes “Ms. Renee’s” program enduring under any name.
“Honestly, you don’t want to use the term ‘mother figure’ because that puts a lot of pressure on her. But when it comes to her nurturing spirit, Ms. Renee is unmatched,” stated Cole, who still talks proudly about the gift card she won for third place in a Midnight Golf Program oratory contest as a student, which also comes in handy during her current work as a communications manager for the city of Detroit’s Human Resources department. “Ms. Renee knows the needs and desires of every student in her program. And you will continue to hear her voice throughout your life when she keeps in contact: ‘Hey, I just wanted to check in.’ ‘Hey, I’m just making sure everything is OK with you.’ ‘Hey, congratulations …’ Through Ms. Renee, you feel like you’re a part of something that is bigger than just you and you are connected to people in different parts of the country that have become your friends and family.
“It’s like our own Detroit folktale that is passed down. And the program will only get bigger and better in our new home because we’ll be able to do all of the programming and good things that have been done in the past with an even greater hands-on approach.”
Continuing a tradition of empowering Detroit area youths for success in the game of life
- What: College Career & Beyond (formerly the Midnight Golf Program), founded in 2001.
- Founder’s statement: “We are dedicated to equipping determined young adults through life skills training, proactive coaching, long-term mentoring and the discipline of golf in order to succeed in college, their careers and beyond,” said College Career & Beyond founder and president Renee Fluker, who announced to supporters on Jan. 22 that her nonprofit had received a permanent endowment from the Michigan Central Station Children’s Endowment Initiative. “The unique mentality of the students we have worked with has been the secret to our success, along with the support we have received from individuals and organizations that believe in our mission, including the PGA of America, which has been with us for the entire journey. We are beyond grateful to all of our supporters.”
- Upcoming special event: 2025 College Career & Beyond Road Trip for Success College Tour. Busloads of students are scheduled to leave Detroit on Sunday, March 23, and return on Saturday, March 29. The tour through Birmingham, Alabama, and Knoxville, Tennessee, will include college visits, along with exposure to sites of cultural interest, golfing adventures and a “renewed sense of empowerment.”
- Learn more: For more information about College Career & Beyond, including how to make a contribution or how to become a mentor or volunteer in any capacity, go to collegecareerbeyond.org
