Tell us about a few of your favorite places to experience in Detroit, what makes those places unique to Detroit and why do they make your list of favorites?
My two favorite places to experience Detroit are more experiential than anything else. The first is the roof of my building. As Midtown continues to pop up with newly renovated lofts and apartments, my building, the Hyesta, stands in stark contrast. The old school vibe is reminiscent of a time in Detroit predating the current period that’s been termed the city’s “revitalization” by the world at large, and the building serves as a tangible reminder of all of the changes and the intricacies of the forces at play in shaping the path forward for the city of Detroit. Standing on my roof and looking at the Downtown skyline, turning around to see the Fisher Building, and gazing at the silhouettes of both Motor City Casino and the Ambassador Bridge has become a nightly ritual during these warm, summer nights. When my time in the city comes to a close, my building and the views it provides will be a cornerstone of the memories of my experience.
The second has been watching the incremental progress on the Little Caesar’s Arena (or the “Pepperinkie”, if you’re so inclined) over the course of the past year. I suppose the same may be said of M-1, but the combination of our city’s rich sports history with the industrial grandeur of the structure make it stand out from other projects. I remember my last experience at Tigers Stadium, but I was too young to truly remember more than that I made it out during that last season, let alone any recollection of the construction of Comerica Park. The same can be said of Ford Field. Growing up and now, my older friends and relatives often indulge me in tales about Lions games at the Silverdome and what the experience was like at the old Tigers Stadium. Until this point, that feeling has not been something I have been able to share. The fact that I’ve experienced the Joe Louis Arena from my childhood into my early adulthood, am living in the shadow of the new arena, and have been around to watch the progress day-by- day will be something I carry forward with me and will be a constant reminder of my first year in the city for the rest of my Red Wings-watching career.
What have you learned from Challenge Detroit so far?
As I look back and take in all that has happened in the year, the learning item that stands out has come from learning about the backgrounds, passions and careers of the fellows in the cohort. The opportunity to spend one day per week with a group of individuals who work at different companies in a variety of roles that are all different from mine provided a fast-track to learning about different industries, career paths, and interests that otherwise may never have presented themselves. So much can be learned from differences between people. Although we were “at work”, the environment was inevitably different each Friday than it was from Monday through Thursday; having that level of separation from each other while maintaining the common denominator of a 9-5 role created a unique environment that provided countless opportunities to grow and learn.
Tell us about your host company and your role in the organization.
PwC is a global client-service firm focusing on providing clients with audit and assurance, tax and consulting services. I am a part of the Core Assurance group within PwC’s Detroit office. Though my home office is located in the heart of Downtown Detroit, my client work takes me to many different parts of Michigan, and other parts of the United States as well. I have found that the varied client experience and spending time outside of the city limits helps provide a holistic framework for thinking about how Detroit fits into the bigger picture of Southeast Michigan, the U.S and the world at large.
What kind of impact do you hope to have with your host company and within the city?
Corporate responsibility is a cornerstone of the PwC brand, and perhaps even more keenly within the Detroit market. Current firm efforts include the development and promotion of financial literacy initiatives within schools all over the country and the world. With the broad exposure to issues and opportunities for corporate responsibility within the city of Detroit introduced to me by my participation in the Challenge Detroit fellowship, I hope to continue to grow in my understanding and knowledge of the network of nonprofit and community-focused organizations within Detroit in an effort to identify and promote opportunities for PwC to contribute in an impactful fashion.
As your fellowship year comes to an close how do you plan to continue using what you’ve learned in the challenges as a part of your life moving forward.
The biggest takeaway I have from Challenge Detroit going forward will be the connections made both within the fellowship and external to it. The sheer volume of people, projects, ideas and issues to which we were introduced over the course of the Fellowship provided enough of an introduction to the landscape of the city for me to begin to contextualize my place within it. After Challenge Detroit, I feel like I have the agency and the ability to choose from a wide range of paths through which I can continue to grow, learn, give and lead in the city of Detroit. Coming to Detroit, I had but the capacity and the desire to develop my passions and to find a way to use them to create an impact in the city. Coming out of this program, I feel I have the wherewithal to move forward in bringing that impact closer to fruition.