Tell us about living in Detroit. What neighborhood do you live in and what things make it unique.

Living in Detroit is the experience I’ve been waiting for. I grew up in Detroit and never really got a chance to EXPERIENCE living in the city. Embracing the different cultures and neighborhoods within the city is something that I was not able to appreciate fully growing up and I’m excited to engage in that opportunity now! I currently live in the Midtown neighborhood which is a perfect for staying in the loop on the different events and activities happening throughout the city. Honestly, my favorite part about the neighborhood is being so close to the Detroit Main Library. I visit the library 2-3 times a week and continue to be fascinated by its size and the art that is displayed throughout the building (especially in the Adam Strohm Hall; hands down my favorite place in the entire building).

What have you learned from Challenge Detroit so far?

Where do I start?!?! I’ve learned so much about Detroit in my short time with Challenge Detroit so far. Between the historical facts presented on tours by Detroit Experience Factory to meeting city government officials about future projects in Detroit, my knowledge and love for Detroit grows every day. More than anything, I’ve learned that there are so many committed individuals and organizations committed to returning Detroit to its former glory. There are so many organizations in Detroit that I didn’t know existed or that there was a need for which is really helpful in my pursuit to recognizing which field of non-profit work I want to focus on.

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

My host company is Talmer Bank & Trust (soon to merge and become Chemical Bank!). My role as a fellow is to participate as a trainee for the Retail Management program where I will go through a rotation in various departments to be trained in a particular field within the bank. It’s a great opportunity to gain management experience and work with a company that plays a role in the housing development in parts of Detroit. As of now, my role is to complete the management trainee rotation and create a way to keep the company engaged and informed about the different activities that are held around the city and update on the challenges we participate in.

What kind of impact do you hope to have with your host company and within the city?

I hope to encourage those at my host company to engage more in the Detroit culture. From what I’ve noticed so far, many of them live in Metro Detroit and rarely travel into the city. I want to provide that voice to help bridge that gap and enlighten them on the opportunities and amazing things going on in the city to encourage them to visit and invest (time, money, ideas, etc.) to the city. I’m excited to see that company is playing a vital role in housing production so I am looking forward to learning more about how big a role they’re playing, their plans for the future and gaining more information in how they became involved in different initiatives.

As you begin your year as a Fellow what are you most excited for?

I’m most excited to work with all of the Challenge project organizations. I’m excited to see the types of programming that have in place already and their plans for new initiatives to implement in the city. As I’ve stated before, there are so many organizations that I didn’t know about and I think one of the really cool things about Challenge Detroit is that it’s an amazing opportunity to gain exposure to these organizations and began to network and make connections. I’m excited to work with a wide range or organizations creating change in a variety of focus areas in Detroit.

To see even more about Kendra’s experiences as a Challenge Detroit Fellow, check out her spotlight video!