In this week’s Fellow Spotlight, we are checking in with Jonathan Ganci. He fills us in on what he enjoys most about Detroit, his host company New Urban Learning, and what he’s looking forward to as a Challenge Detroit Fellow.

Tell us about your neighborhood and what are some of your favorite things about it? 

Technically I live in Brush Park, so I am right in between downtown and midtown. I love that I am close to everything and that when the weather isn’t -20 degrees out that I can walk to Tiger games. One of my favorite things about the neighborhood is the old homes in the area. There are huge mansions that are truly beautiful. To me, this neighborhood is a microcosm of what happened with Detroit. You see these huge homes that represent a period of wealth in the city.  Some are in disrepair yet others might be the only one on the street representing the decline of Detroit. The best part is that some of them have been or are being renovated, which represents the rebirth of the city.

Tell us about your host company and your role within the organization.

I work for a charter school management organization called New Urban Learning. We run three schools in the northwest side of Detroit. For the organization, I am working as a data analyst and am in charge of all the data reporting that goes to teachers, administration, funders, partners and any one else that uses the data from our school.

I think education is one of the most important issues in Detroit. Quality education has been a huge problem in Detroit for many years, and if we want people to stay and put roots down in the city, quality education options need to be greater in numbers and accessibility. I am glad that I get to spend a year in Detroit trying to help that problem.

What have you learned from Challenge Detroit so far?

I’ve learned that I am not alone. There’s always been a part of me that wants to give back, to truly change my community and world around me for the better. Yet sometimes it feels overwhelming. Sometimes I feel like “what can I really do as one person?”.  Challenge Detroit, and living in this city, has shown me that as one person not only do you have the ability to make large scale differences, but that there’s a ton of people that want the same thing. I’ve learned there is power behind like-minded individuals working for a common goal. The ability we have to change our community and our city as a group of 35 fellows is inspiring.

What kind of impact do you hope to have in your host company? Within the city? 

I hope that I am able to bring a new perspective to my host company, and to help build systems that keep improving as we continue to grow our schools. Our CEO always talks about how our organization is very entrepreneurial at heart, which sometimes means that there will be some bumps along the way, and I hope to make it a little less bumpy.

As far as the city goes, I hope that by the end of the year there is at least one person that has their live positively change by something I did here. Big or small, I hope that there is a lasting impact of my year.

What is one unique thing you’ve learned or discovered about Detroit since August? 

I have learned that the people make it, that there’s something about the people that live here that make it special. Not a day goes by that someone doesn’t say hi to me on my way to work. I have great conversations with complete strangers all the time. People here want to make their city great, and, if you do too, you become friends instantly. If you have an idea, someone in Detroit will want to help you make that idea become a reality. The spirit of Detroit, which is it’s people, is the reason the city will always survive anything thrown at it.

Also, be sure to check out Jonathan’s video to learn more about his time in Detroit, so far.