{"id":14904,"date":"2016-02-29T13:39:46","date_gmt":"2016-02-29T13:39:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.challengedetroit.org\/?post_type=blogpost&p=14904"},"modified":"2016-02-29T13:39:46","modified_gmt":"2016-02-29T13:39:46","slug":"fellow-spotlight-annie-gough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.challengedetroit.org\/blog\/fellow-spotlight-annie-gough\/","title":{"rendered":"Fellow Spotlight: Annie Gough"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tell us about living in Detroit. What neighborhood do you live in and what things make it unique\u00a0and exciting?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"elmwoodI live in Elmwood Park, which is situated right next to the more well-known Lafayette Park and owes its\u00a0name to the illustrious Elmwood Cemetery. It is a quiet neighborhood surrounded by grade schools,\u00a0which makes it feel very family-friendly. While it is a bit removed from the excitement of downtown,\u00a0one thing I have grown to love about the area is how easy it is for me to step outside my door and go for\u00a0an enjoyable run or walk. For anyone wanting a moment of removal from the urban setting of Detroit, I\u00a0highly recommend a walk through the historic cemetery.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What have you learned from Challenge Detroit so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"VisionI am grateful for the experiential learning and empathy I have gained in my time with Challenge Detroit.\u00a0I truly believe I have been able to learn and understand more about Detroit\u2019s complex narrative \u2013 both\u00a0historically and its current climate \u2013 in the six months I have been a part of the fellowship than if I were\u00a0to try to seek out the knowledge on my own. Partnering with outstanding non-profit organizations in the\u00a0community, attending lectures and exhibits, and having influential guest speakers visit our program all\u00a0have been crucial to my growth as an active member of the Detroit community.<\/p>\n

Tell us about your host company and your role in the organization.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"BeauMy host company is Beaumont Health, the largest health system in the state and one of the largest\u00a0employers in Southeast Michigan. I work in the Corporate Human Resources department, in which I\u00a0have been able to observe the fascinating process of a company merge (A year and a half ago,\u00a0Beaumont Health System, Oakwood Health System and Botsford Hospital merged to become Beaumont\u00a0Health). I have learned just how much the Human Resources department is responsible for in sustaining\u00a0a large organization and how much of the merge falls on this group of people.<\/p>\n

My main focus at Beaumont Health has been as a member of the Talent Acquisition team and in\u00a0developing a new military veterans program to promote the hiring and retention of veterans.<\/p>\n

What kind of impact do you hope to have with your host company and within the city?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before the end of my fellowship year, I hope to see Beaumont\u2019s veterans program as an active and\u00a0fruitful source, both for veterans to gain fulfilling employment, as well as for recruiters of Beaumont\u00a0Health to find skilled and driven talent to welcome into the health system. Within the city, I hope to\u00a0continually expand my knowledge of Detroit and participate in meaningful volunteer service in the spirit\u00a0of shared values.<\/p>\n

What are ways the suburbs of Detroit and the city can come together? What lessons can we learn\u00a0from one another?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was raised in Grosse Pointe Park, in a family that was always pretty enthusiastic about Detroit and\u00a0engaged in its current events. I am of course aware of the rift that is present between the city and its\u00a0suburbs, but I am also seeing a dissipation of this mindset. My hope is that a more supportive and\u00a0communal relationship grows over the years, as both have plenty to offer one another. Residents of the\u00a0suburbs should come to Detroit not just for a Tigers Game and a drink at HopCat, but also to attend a\u00a0community lecture provided by Wayne State, visit the Detroit Historical Museum, enjoy a family outing\u00a0on the Riverfront or discover a new (to them) bakery. There are also many services that the suburbs\u00a0have been able to sustain successfully over the years, in the same areas where Detroit has floundered,\u00a0such as the public school systems. While I understand that monetary support is a stretch, I think it\u2019s\u00a0important for intellectual collaboration to occur between the suburbs and the city to create a more\u00a0cohesive community.<\/p>\n

Want to see Annie in action out and about in Detroit? Check out her spotlight video!<\/p>\n