Ian Hogg is a 2022-2023 Fellow at DTE where he is on the Neighborhoods team. Learn more about Ian below.

There’s No Place Like Challenge Detroit

If there was one moment in the program that best conveys how grateful I feel to be a Challenge Detroit Fellow, it would have to be attending the Detroit Policy Conference (DPC). It had been a few years since the last Conference and you could definitely tell! There was a record breaking number of attendees and I was lucky enough to be one of them. This was my first time attending an event like this and it was intimidating at first, but as time went on I realized just how much my time as a Fellow had prepared me for moments like this. 

Your Fellowship year is meant to be used as a time in your life to learn and grow both personally and professionally. It’s all about getting outside of your comfort zone and becoming comfortable in moments that may intimidate or challenge you. The DPC was one of the moments for me. Being in a room with big-time Detroit movers and shakers was an honor as well as a moment of being awestruck to find myself in the same room. I soon realized that I began to recognize Challenge Detroit alumni, past project partners, and Leadership Friday guest speakers, all of which we had met through Challenge Detroit. In this moment, I gained a sense of pride to be a part of this program. As a Fellow you get to work alongside so many amazing people and Detroit organizations. It’s a year spent learning and listening from people who care deeply about Detroit. Challenge enables a sense of confidence in yourself and your ability to think critically about Detroit and the future of this great city. There is no other program in the state of Michigan that provides you opportunities to meet and work with so many talented and important people. Challenge Detroit has a name recognition that carries throughout the city and will set up a great future for me and all of the other Fellows to grow as leaders in the city.

 


About Me

Hi everyone, I’m Ian! I’m from Livonia, MI and I graduated from Wayne State in 2021 with a degree in Urban Studies and I’m also a current graduate student in the Master of Urban Planning program at Wayne State. I love learning about how cities can redevelop and revitalize in a way that better equips them to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. I’m an avid bird watcher and I love a good board game night with my family and friends!

Why should someone apply to be a Fellow?

The Fellowship provides a safe space to step outside your comfort zone and grow as a person and as a young professional!