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

I live in a studio apartment in a high-rise building at 1600 Antietam. The building sits at the north end of Lafayette Park, on the opposite side of Gratiot from Eastern Market. Three other Challenge Detroit fellows live in the building, which I didn’t learn until after I signed the lease. The beautiful view of Lafayette Park and the easy walking access to both downtown and Eastern Market are two of the biggest advantages of living where I do. The building also feels a lot like a college dorm, which turns some people off, but is something I really appreciate.

What have you learned from Challenge Detroit so far? 

First, this fellowship program provides access to so many passionate people, unique places, and community leaders in Detroit in a way that I have definitely appreciated and tried to build upon.

Second, Detroit is massive. I’ve known this for quite some time, but having such a wide array of activities and adventures in the city proper has shown me how many vast areas of the city I have yet to fully discover and explore.

Third, while there are so many issues and injustices that remain ingrained in the fabric of Detroit’s past, present, and future, I have definitely been pleasantly surprised by the strength and pride of what some may call the ‘black middle class’, a population whose decline the media often seems to highlight and lament.

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

My host company is DTE Energy, where I work in community outreach and public affairs. My specific areas of focus thus far include employee volunteerism, neighborhood revitalization, economic development, and education outreach. Working at DTE has definitely been a learning experience as my first foray into corporate culture, but I get to work on projects that are extremely relevant to my interest in the Detroit community. DTE Energy aspires to be a force for growth and prosperity in the community, and its reach as both a utility company and a corporate citizen allows for countless opportunities to make an impact on Detroit.

How did your experience with City Year prepare you for Challenge Detroit? 

The City Year experience was definitely an important aspect of what I brought to the table as a prospective Challenge Detroit fellow. Our second challenge project revolved around increasing parent engagement in Detroit Public Schools, and I served as a project lead in part because of my City Year experience. Through City Year I became immersed in the Detroit education landscape, which is why the recent political momentum towards some kind of potential bankruptcy or reform is so important and exciting. But what City Year really did for me is create an emotional connection to individual kids’ journeys. I tutored them, I joked around with them, I coached them in baseball, and through all that, I was able to see growing up in the world through their eyes, and it’s something I always have with me. I did City Year because it seemed to fit what I wanted to do with my life, and I think I feel a similar way about Challenge Detroit.