July is finally here, marking the beginning of my last official month with Challenge Detroit. It’s bittersweet that I’ll have to say goodbye to this chapter of my life very soon. Despite this, I find some comfort in knowing that although I have to say goodbye to Challenge Detroit soon, I won’t have to truly say goodbye to Detroit, for Detroit is home.

During the month of July, we will transition into the final stages of the Challenge Detroit program by participating in individual impact projects. For this, each fellow has chosen their own unique way to impact the Detroit community. Some fellows will be working with various non-profit organizations of their choice while others will be impacting our city by doing unique things such as creating a Detroit event. As for me, I will be working with Southwest Solutions/Wayne State University’s Harris Literacy Program and Adult Learning Lab. Southwest Solutions is located in Southwest Detroit, which became one of my favorite parts of Detroit from the moment I stepped foot there.

This organization is dedicated to providing a variety of different services to community members, including English as a Second Language (ESL) and General Eduational Development (GED) classes. For the next month, I will be working with this organization in order to help their current data system become more efficient and improved.

Other than that, I have just been trying to soak up the sun and enjoy my summer in Detroit before the cold weather decides to hit our entire region again.

Adios for now! See ya soon!