CDC of Tampa’s Suit Up & Show Up prepares, dresses young men for success
- Tiffany Clark
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Suit Up & Show Up guides young men toward a path to success and gives them a new suit to wear along the way.
By Christopher Curry ● Workforce Transition ● December 11, 2025
A young man’s first time wearing a suit shouldn’t be at his funeral.
But that heart-rending scenario unfolded in 2011, when gunfire killed a promising Tampa high school student named John Singleton who was part of the Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa’s Youth Leadership Movement program.
“John was an extremely bright young student,” says CDC of Tampa CEO Ernest Coney Jr. “He was a student at Tampa Bay Tech High School, and he was looking forward to being one of the first in his family to go on to college, literally the first of his generation to go. He was an 11th grader, so he had one more year with us. He went to a party where a fight broke out. People started shooting, and he was shot as an innocent bystander.”
Coney says no parent expects to bury their teenage son, and Singleton’s family did not have a location to hold the repass gathering after his funeral. CDC of Tampa offered use of its building and provided food, Coney says.
“They also didn’t have a suit to bury him in,” he says. “That was the first suit we bought for one of the youth in our programs. After the funeral, I really started to think about where we are as a community. A lot of violence has started to erupt, a lot of shootings. And the first time we buy a suit for someone is to bury them. It just didn’t settle well. Oftentimes, we think about dreams deferred. That suit literally wrapped dreams deferred.”
Working for change.
Following Singleton’s death, Coney looked for ways to curb the community gun violence cutting lives short and to help young Black men pave a path to a positive future.
“We put out a call for resources, volunteers, and organizations, asking, ‘How do we wrap our arms around young men to let them know that we care about them as a community, to let them know that they have the potential to be anything they dream of?’” he says. “We want to unwrap that potential, not bury that potential.”
In 2014, the nonprofit organization unveiled Suit Up & Show Up, a leadership retreat for young men ages 16 to 24. Each year, the program works with about 100 teens and young adults who’ve been referred by career coaches at 13 area high schools and by local mentoring groups, says CDC of Tampa Director of Workforce Development David Jones.
During a daylong event, the young men connect with minority community leaders and mentors, participate in workshops on goal-setting, personal responsibility, and leadership development, and listen as a keynote speaker shares his personal story of the hard work and sacrifice it takes to succeed. They also receive a free custom tailored business suit they put on for the first time while mentors offer guidance on career pathways, life choices, and “suiting up for the roles and responsibilities of your life,” Jones says.
“We get them that first suit, and they’re ready to interview for college or a job,” he says. “They just look professional. And, man, when they walk out with it on. It’s been said so many times seeing them that getting measured for the suit is one feeling, but trying on that suit and coming out from that dressing room with that brand new suit on, they’re a completely different person. Their smiles are big. It’s like seeing a diamond being cut and emerging with this bright new shine. Many times they don’t even want to take the suit off. They ask, ‘Can I keep the suit on and wear it home so my mother or grandmother can see me? They want someone to see them looking that good. It’ll bring a tear to your eye to see the transition. It’s just an amazing sight to see.”
Expanding community impact
To expand its reach and community impact, CDC of Tampa designed Suit Up & Show Up for high school students and young adults not already involved in the nonprofit’s Youth Leadership Movement program. Suit Up & Show Up has reached more than 1,000 young men over the years, and will add to the ranks during the upcoming 12th annual event in February at CareerSource Tampa Bay. Jones says it’s an intentional decision to hold the event at CareerSource to introduce the young men to that community organization’s job search and workforce training programs. CDC of Tampa also partners with community groups 100 Black Men of Tampa Bay, Men of Vision, and Gentlemen’s Quest to connect the young men with mentors. Those partnerships open the door to more opportunities and expand the young men’s support network.
“Now we’ve served a greater purpose,” Jones says.
Middleton High School graduate Kingsten Ward, 18, was part of the program in 2024.
“It was a great experience,” he says. “I got to meet a lot of people and make connections.”
Ward met that year’s keynote speaker, former Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston, and, of course, got his free tailored suit.
“It was free, so it felt amazing,” he says. “I never experienced anything like that before.”
After Suit Up & Show Up, Ward stayed involved with CDC of Tampa. He enrolled in the Youth F.I.R.E. Academy program and earned certifications in CPR, first aid, and mental health response. The CPR certification has already helped him land a job; it’s a requirement at the after school program where he works.
Looking more long-term, Ward’s experience in the F.I.R.E. Academy has inspired him to pursue a career in firefighting. Visiting a fire training facility with the program, he spoke with and heard from current firefighters, explored a fire truck, and watched a training exercise.
“I did not know what I wanted to do before that, but now that’s what I’m seeking,” Ward says.
He’s enrolled in Hillsborough Community College’s emergency medical technician (EMT) program and plans to enter the fire academy after that.
CDC of Tampa designed Suit Up & Show Up to create that type of positive change, Coney says.
It’s been an amazing journey,” he says. “To see young men come in one way, a little bit of attitude, a little bit of swag. Then, when you put that suit on them, their whole demeanor just changes. It really begins to transcend this bravado that you have to be a certain way that most young men are taught on the street. It really positions them well in life.”
Wholistic approach
Suit Up & Show Up is part of an array of CDC of Tampa youth programs focused on personal and professional development. Jones says the initial focus is to make sure they graduate high school. From there, the programs focus on personal growth and responsibility and creating career pathways through college, trade school, vocational training, or opportunities to go straight into the workforce. He says oftentimes CDC of Tampa begins working with these young men and women when they’re in high school and transitions to offer career pathway resources after graduation.
Suit Up & Show Up’s companion program for young women, the Sisterhood Summit, will bring together 100 Tampa Bay area high school students in March 2026. The Youth Leadership Movement is a year-long program that equips high school students with the tools for success. Launching in summer 2026, the Youth Leaders of Tomorrow program will partner with CareerSource to connect young entrepreneurs with business professionals to provide mentorship, paid work experience, and skills development.
YouthBuild is designed to develop teens and young adults ages 16-24 into leaders through a combination of education, career training, and community service. Youth F.I.R.E. Academy offers hands-on certifications in CPR, first aid, mental health response, and workplace ethics.
Located in an industrial area of East Tampa, the Tampa Vocational Institute offers training and certifications in areas like construction, customer service, OSHA, forklift operation, and CDL, along with job placement support. Jones says every training program shares the same fundamental goal: provide students with the skills and certifications to get on a jobsite.
Ernest Pichon got involved with the construction program through a good friend who is also enrolled. In eight weeks, he’s already earned multiple certifications.
“I wanna go on a nice, straight path with my life, build my skillset, and just grow as a person,” Pichon says. “There are great opportunities here. It seemed like a perfect fit, and it is. I’ve made sure I’ve been here everyday. I love every moment I have here…You just have to be willing to put the time in. You have to be willing to work to better yourself. If you’re willing, you’ll be great. You’ll do fine. It’s on you though. If you don’t put in the work, it’s not going to happen for you. You can’t just sit there and expect it to come to you.”
For more information, go to CDC of Tampa
This story is produced through an underwriting agreement between Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa and 83 Degrees.
Comments