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From Second Avenue to the World — and Back Again
- Mar 11
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 13
How Arielle DiVita’s Cass Tech roots shaped a career and life that carried her far beyond Detroit and ultimately brought her home again.
On her first days back in Detroit, Arielle DiVita paused to take in the view from her downtown window.
Then something in the distance caught her attention.
The familiar CT logo.
Seeing it brought an immediate sense of home. At a moment when she was resetting her life, it was also a reminder of the high expectations the school had instilled in her and the expectations she still carried for herself.
A Childhood Rooted in Detroit Music
In Arielle’s family, music was never separate from daily life. Growing up in Detroit, it was simply part of the world around her.
She comes from a Detroit musical family with deep roots in the city’s jazz history. Her great-grandfather, Otto Kurt Schmeisser, was a respected music teacher and a former member of both the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He was also associated with the development of the Martin Committee trumpet, a model favored by jazz greats including Miles Davis.
Music surrounded Arielle from the beginning. The influences reflected the different artistic paths within her family — classical music through her great-grandfather’s orchestral career, theater and dance through her mother’s studies at Wayne State University, and jazz through the professional careers of her father and uncles, whose work is documented in the book Before Motown: A History of Jazz in Detroit.
In her family, music lessons were never optional. Music and dance were simply part of growing up, and family gatherings often included live jazz and impromptu performances.
Those influences stayed with her. Years later, she passed them on to her own daughter, a dancer who followed in her grandparents’ artistic footsteps and pursued a career in the arts.
All Roads Lead to Cass Tech
For Arielle, attending Cass Technical High School was never really a question.
“It wasn’t just expected that I would attend Cass Tech — it was insisted.”
Both of her parents had attended Cass Tech as music majors, and from an early age she understood the school’s legacy long before she walked through its doors herself.
One vivid memory from freshman orientation stayed with her. Her mother brought her to campus and unexpectedly ran into Mrs. Frances Hamburger, the legendary Cass Tech teacher and department head whose influence was so profound that the school’s auditorium was later named in her honor.
When Mrs. Hamburger saw Arielle’s mother, she immediately became emotional, remembering her as one of her favorite students and the star of many Cass Tech productions.
For Arielle, the moment was unforgettable and a little intimidating.
Standing in the school she had heard about her entire life, she realized something important. While she loved music and the arts, she didn’t feel the same passion for performing that had defined her family. Still, not wanting to disappoint them, she initially followed the path that had been expected of her.
But the realization stayed with her.
The Moment That Changed the Path
That realization led her to make a change that would shape the rest of her life. During her junior year at Cass Tech, Arielle transferred from the Performing Arts program into Business Administration, where she began studying computer programming and business principles.
As she explored technology and business, she discovered an unexpected outlet for creativity, not on a stage, but in building systems and solving problems.
As part of the program, she was selected for a two-year internship at the Detroit Institute of Arts, where she worked as an administrative assistant and gained early exposure to the professional world inside one of Detroit’s most respected cultural institutions.
But her senior year brought an unexpected and devastating turn. Within a short period of time, she lost both of her parents. College plans suddenly gave way to something else: adulthood.
Fortunately, the decision she made at Cass Tech had already given her something many eighteen-year-olds did not yet have. Two years of training in computer technology and business, along with her internship at the Detroit Institute of Arts, meant she entered the workforce with real skills and professional experience. Preparation she would later realize mattered more than she could have imagined.
“Cass Tech gave me something I didn’t realize I would need so soon: real skills and real experience. And growing up in Detroit teaches you resilience early.”
Where the Journey Led
Arielle began her career with Electronic Data Systems (EDS), a subsidiary of General Motors, supporting systems for the company’s Corporate Audit Staff. After successfully delivering several projects and building strong relationships with the teams she supported, General Motors made the unusual decision to hire her directly — a rare move that reflected the trust she had earned and the value of her work.
What began in Detroit would eventually take her around the world.
Over time, her role expanded well beyond technical support. Arielle began managing complex technology initiatives for a global network of audit staff members working remotely across multiple countries.
Because the team was geographically dispersed, much of the work centered around large international meetings where staff gathered for training, strategy, and major technology upgrades.
What began as technology work gradually evolved into producing large-scale international conferences.
Unexpected Turns Along the Way
After nearly two decades at General Motors, Arielle reached another turning point in her life. Her work had taken her around the world, but the travel and demanding schedule were difficult to balance with life at home.
One morning, as she prepared to leave for another trip, she woke her young daughter to say goodbye. Her daughter looked at her and asked quietly,
“Oh no, Mom… you’re not leaving again?”
The moment was simple, but it stayed with her. Having lost her own parents while still in high school, Arielle understood how important those everyday moments could be. She began looking for a way to reshape her career so she could be more present at home.
That decision led her into entrepreneurship when she purchased a Computer Explorers technology education franchise, bringing after-school programs, summer camps, and technology classes to schools and childcare centers across Michigan.
Running the business meant wearing many hats and learning new skills along the way. She quickly discovered how essential marketing was and how difficult it can be for small business owners to manage while juggling everything else. That firsthand experience continues to shape how she supports her clients today.
“Business owners wear enough hats already. I tell my clients: focus on what you’re passionate about and let someone else handle the tech and marketing.”
As her daughter became more involved in dance, Arielle found herself drawn back into the arts as well, eventually serving as the artistic director of her daughter’s high school dance company.
Under her leadership, the program focused on more than technique and performance. Arielle developed an approach centered on confidence, leadership, and giving back to the community, helping students see the arts as a way to build character and purpose. The model was eventually adopted by other high school programs.
The experience marked her first true step into mentorship and reconnected her to the creative legacy that had shaped her own family. Several of those students have remained in close contact with her over the years, and today she affectionately refers to many of them as her “other daughters.”
“My role in the arts was never meant to be on the stage. It was behind the scenes, bringing creative work to life and helping young people find confidence through the arts.”
Where the Work Began to Converge
Over time, Arielle began to see that her work in technology, entrepreneurship, marketing, event production, and mentoring young people were not separate paths, but parts of the same story. At the center of it all was the role she enjoyed most: working behind the scenes to help bring ideas to life.
That realization led her to create DiVita Creative Group, where she works with businesses, entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, and creative professionals on web design, branding, marketing strategy, digital storytelling, and live event production.
She also enjoys sharing what she’s learned through graphic and web design workshops and speaking engagements.
With her background and deep connection to the arts, Arielle created OnThe1 to support the unique marketing needs of artists and live events.
The work not only combines many of her passions, but has also lead to unexpected connections and collaborations, including those with fellow Cass Tech alumni.
Cass Tech Connections in Motion
One of those collaborations began when a mutual friend and fellow Cass Tech graduate introduced Arielle to Crescendo Detroit, a music education program founded by another CT graduate, Damien Crutcher. Crescendo’s mission to teach music while nurturing the whole child resonated deeply with her.
In 2025, she helped connect Crescendo with Morris Hayes, Prince’s longest-serving bandmate and music director. Having spent decades performing at the highest levels of the music industry, Hayes also regularly leads masterclasses and educational programs and is deeply committed to mentoring young musicians and giving back.
Hayes first visited Detroit to lead a masterclass for Crescendo students, and the experience proved so meaningful that he was invited back.
He returns this summer to lead an expanded series of masterclasses and headline a benefit concert supporting Crescendo’s music education programs—an event Arielle is producing.
For Hayes, the return reflects both his belief in Crescendo’s mission and his desire to give back to a city whose influence on Prince’s career is often overlooked.
Legendary Detroit DJ The Electrifying Mojo was one of the first major radio voices to champion Prince’s music, helping build the devoted Detroit following that later led Prince to call the city his “second home.”
“What excites me most about this project is that it brings everything together—Detroit’s musical legacy, the chance to mentor and inspire the next generation, and the Cass Tech roots that helped connect it all. It’s also a chance to celebrate one of music’s most influential artists. And if Detroit shows up the way I think it will, we might just turn the city purple for a night.”
Telling the Centennial Story
The same network of Cass Tech alumni connections that led Arielle to Crescendo brought her back to the school itself. As the Harp & Vocal Program prepared to celebrate its 100-year anniversary, she became involved in helping shape the centennial’s digital presence, developing the program’s website and contributing to its marketing and sponsorship strategy.
“Cass Tech gave me so much. Being able to help tell the story of this program and support the Centennial celebration feels like a full-circle moment.”
Recognizing that a milestone like this called for something more meaningful than a traditional event program, Arielle also created and serves as editor of the digital centennial magazine Strings & Songs. Designed as a storytelling platform, the publication features signature articles and profiles highlighting alumni, supporters, and sponsors connected to the Centennial celebration.
The View from the Window
After more than a decade living in California, Arielle returned to Detroit. Her journey had taken her far beyond the city through global corporate work, entrepreneurship, creative projects, and collaborations across the arts.
For a time she lived downtown. From her window, she could see Cass Tech. Seeing the familiar outline of the school each day meant more than she expected. The school that had shaped so much of her early life had quietly returned to her daily view.
The city, the school, the connections—it all felt familiar. And over time, she realized how good it felt to be home.
From Second Avenue to the world and back again, the expectations that began there never really left.
Shaped by it. Forever connected.
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