In this week’s Fellow Spotlight, we are checking in with Meiyi Cheng. She fills us in on what she enjoys most about living in the city, and her host company, Mango Languages!

Meiyi, after coming to the United States from China in 2011, and moving to Detroit in 2013, what have you enjoyed most about living in the City?

I’ve been enjoying the people and the art galleries. I moved to Detroit without knowing anyone here, but now I’ve made a bunch of friends who are genuine, kind, smart and interesting. There’s really a sense of community here and people make the effort to build their community. I’ve also enjoyed the art scene here in Detroit. I subscribe to the newsletter from Art Detroit Now and every week there are always some gallery openings and exhibition openings. It’s nice to see creative people moving to Detroit.

Why Detroit?

One thing that really drives me in my life is the desire for adventures. I love living in different places and learning about different cultures. I had only been to Detroit once before I moved here, it was the interview trip for Challenge Detroit. So I sort of jumped onto the boat before really understanding what was waiting for me at the destination. And it turned out to be a fulfilling adventure.

What are some other things you like to experience in the Detroit in addition to the art scene?

I would love to go to more events when it gets warm, all kinds of events, music, dance, social, food, sports, etc. I’m not really a winter person. I have a big window in my apartment and beautiful view of the city. It’s nice to sit in the couch, read books and look at the snow from the window, but I’m really looking forward to going out more often in the summer.

Tell us about your host-company and what you do?

My host company is Mango Languages, a very creative language learning company. I am working in the finance department overseeing the accounts receivable. I also work on a variety of side projects from time to time. I really love working at Mango. It’s such a culturally and linguistically rich place, almost everyone speaks another language. We have a 1.5-hour-per-week language learning requirement. Last Friday I also hosted a special party at Mango about Chinese New Year.

What makes working for Mango Languages unique?

Passion, creativity, and integrity. Mangoes are truly passionate about what they do and we do what we say. You’re always encouraged to go above and beyond to strive for excellence. We are language learners ourselves so we can always view things from our customers’ perspective. Creativity, along with having an entrepreneurial spirit, is highly valued at Mango.

What do you enjoy most about the challenges?

The variety of themes. Challenge Detroit has provided me with the opportunity to learn about various organizations and their industry. This is such a valuable experience for someone who just graduated from college.

What are you looking forward to most in Detroit?

Growth. I’m really looking forward to seeing more growth in the city, not just on a collective level, but more importantly on an individual level. I know it sounds a little counter-intuitive considering how much the world has been calling for the coming back of Detroit as a city, but this really won’t happen unless everyone in this city can have the opportunity to grow in their lives.

Check out Meiyi’s personal blog here, and her spotlight video.