My year with Challenge Detroit has been so incredible. I’ve grown so much, so fast I hardly recognize myself. I’m starting to notice others feeling the same. One key phrase I’ve always tried to keep in mind is that you never know what’s possible until you try it. And I tried and learned I could do so much this year.

Of course my experience using my abilities to help non profits in the city is an amazing experience, theres nothing like the joy of doing social good while following your passions. When I reflect back on the amount of work we were able to complete this year as a cohort, I am amazed! From thinking of new ways to brand neighborhoods, to just collecting info about what businesses reside within an area, I feel confident that we planted the seeds of growth. To be exposed to some of the inner workings of the city and to see the various connections has been eye opening. There is so much happening in the city currently, just in my Challenge year alone I’ve see a lot of growth and development all across the city. Very notably near my neighborhood. In a way it can feel overwhelming, but it is more exciting to think that I am a part of this large historical narrative. The story of Detroit’s redevelopment will be a story for the ages, and I was right here in the middle of it.

More about me though, I feel as though I have unleashed a new ambition for myself. I realize that I have been dreaming small all along! There is so much that I am capable of, so much I can do, and nothing is beyond my abilities. My newfound confidence is a result of the incurable leadership training and acmes I received through Challenge Detroit. Through the experience gained from my challenge project I now know I have everything I need to create and plan my own projects.

They say that if you give a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach him how to fish you feed him for life. That’s how I would describe my experience in Challenge Detroit, not only did they teach me how to fish, but how to slice, gut, clean, and cook the fish as well.