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

I live in Brush Park, a historic 22-block neighborhood within Midtown.  Brush Park still boasts about 90 original structures from the 19th century including many Victorian mansions. I live in one! I am one of five residents of the Bernard Ginsburg house, built in 1898 and designed by Detroit architect Albert Kahn.

What have you learned from Challenge Detroit so far?

During orientation and our first challenge, I have learned that Detroit is a much more expansive city than the 7.2 square mile greater downtown area I was exposed to in my first year living here. Visiting Artesian Farms in Brightmoor during orientation was an eye-opening experience for me. The kale (yes vegans love kale) I had been buying all year at Whole Foods in Midtown was very much “Grown in Detroit,” and it was from this amazing, aquaponics filled warehouse in a neighborhood I had never been to.

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

I am an internal track fellow and have been working at General Motors for the past year. I am a trained mechanical engineer, participating in GM’s post-graduate vehicle engineering rotational program. Currently, I am spending 4 months at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant in the Quality Engineering group. Spending time at the plant was a goal of mine when I joined GM last year and I’m having a blast!

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

As a TRACK (Technical Rotation And Career Knowledge) engineer at GM I hope to bring a positive, innovative, and bold perspective to the teams which I will be rotating through. When I return to Cambridge to recruit through GM’s MIT University Relations team I also hope to spread a positive message about Detroit and the exciting opportunities for new college grads at GM and in Southeast Michigan.

Within the city, I am passionate about promoting STEM education and giving students an insider’s view into careers in science, technology, and engineering. I mentor an all-girls 9th-12th grade FIRST robotics team who earned a spot at the world championships last year in St. Louis as Michigan’s Rookie All-Stars. This fall in partnership with the Mercy Education Project I am also coaching a Rookie all-girls 4th-6th grade FIRST Lego League Team. As a FIRST alum myself I hope to inspire my girls to pursue STEM-related careers, and to transform Detroit through their own innovations in the city!

Tell us about the most recent challenge project you worked on, your role, and share a few highlights from that experience.

During our first challenge with MACC Development, I was a part of the MACC Lit team. I was so excited to work with MACC Lit, whose mission is to “promote a culture of literacy and community education.” I enjoyed interviewing tutors, students, and the MACC Lit staff and learning about the various educational non-profits and programs operating within the 48214 zip code.

What are you most looking forward to as you begin your fellowship year?

I am most looking forward to getting to know my fellow fellows on a deeper level! I am also excited to continue to learn about Detroit’s non-profit landscape from the perspective of a very curious and altruistically motivated engineer.

To learn even more about Rachael’s work at General Motors and her life in Detroit check out her spotlight video below.