Life as a Challenge Detroit Fellow can feel like a binary existence, balancing life at our host companies and as fellows during Challenge Fridays. Here’s an example of a day in the life as a fellow at my host company, Mosher Dolan, and during a Challenge Friday.
At my host company:
6:20 am Alarm sounds for the third time, I hear my roommate up, I can’t avoid it any longer. Make breakfast, tea, chat with my fellow fellow/roommate about the day ahead.
7:30 am Drive from Lafayette park to Midtown to pick up my co-worker (and year 3 Fellow) for our carpool.
8:17 am Arrive at Mosher Dolan offices in Royal Oak.
10:46 am Wrap up a site meeting at a Mosher Dolan Residence. My host company specializes in high-end residential construction, and I have the opportunity to visit ongoing projects during site visits to facilitate progress.
1:23 pm Finish typing up notes from this morning’s meeting, send to architects and interior designers.
4:30 pm Leave work, drive back to the city. Fortunately, traffic is usually jammed in the opposite direction leaving Detroit.
5:20 pm Arrive back home in time to cook up some dinner.
6:00 pm Attend an event a few blocks away from my apartment, panelists discuss the future development of the Detroit Riverfront and Eastern Market.
8:12 pm Quick check-in on our current project, prepare for Friday.
10:48 pm Bed
During a Challenge Friday:
6:20 am I’m up early finishing any final tasks before the day begins: research, reviewing notes, printing resources.
8:17 am Drive to TechTown to meet up with my fellow fellows, review our goals for today, and check-in on team progress.
10:46 am For this particular challenge with Detroit Public Schools, my team visits with Marcus Garvey Academy to understand parent engagement.
1:23 pm Wrap up interviews with parents, students, and administrators, and head back to TechTown to reconvene.
4:30 pm Reflect on the day, and check in with Team Leads regarding progress, challenges, and successes.
5:20 pm Head out for dinner with fellows. After a long day, it’s nice to decompress with fellow fellows.