Challenge Detroit is almost over even though I feel like we just started. We are on our last group challenge and I don’t want it to be over already. No longer will we be participating in Friday afternoon battles on the pop a shot court at tech town. We’re going to be doing regular work on Fridays. I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I should have made up a fake name and applied again this year. Challenge Detroit is like drinking out of a firehose. You’re trying to cram so much into such a short time it can be overwhelming. They don’t call it Challenge Detroit because it’s a walk in the park (although I did walk through a park as part of our Challenge with DDP). The experience is well worth the effort in the end, and there isn’t much that can top my year in Detroit.

As a group we have spoken with and interviewed countless people, gone through reams and reams of post it notes, reflected, empathized, and ideated. We’ve been to concerts, art gallerys, and sports games. We have taken hundreds of photos, written hundreds of blogs, and produced some pretty good videos, I suggest checking out Mike Plotz spotlight video and shout out to my roommate Huck for helping with mine. I haven’t been a part of any of the after 5 trophy winning teams but the fellows have represented really well against the various Detroit businesses. A lot of our success is thanks to Kelsey Stein. I wish she would’ve gone to my high school, she would have been a real asset in Advanced P.E. dodgeball tournaments. It’s unbelievable to think about how much we’ve learned and how many different experiences we’ve packed into what hasn’t even been the full year yet.

I’ve gained a lot through this year. I found a place where I want to continue to volunteer. I hope to continue working at my host company GTB. I’ve met all kinds of incredible people and I’ve made some really great friends who are also staying in the city. This fellowship was an amazing way to get to know and love the city of Detroit and I’m sure I will be using the lessons I learned for the rest of my life and career.