{"id":19353,"date":"2017-02-20T16:12:23","date_gmt":"2017-02-20T16:12:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.challengedetroit.org\/?post_type=blogpost&p=19353"},"modified":"2017-02-20T16:12:23","modified_gmt":"2017-02-20T16:12:23","slug":"fellow-spotlight-gregory-hardy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.challengedetroit.org\/blog\/fellow-spotlight-gregory-hardy\/","title":{"rendered":"Fellow Spotlight: Gregory Hardy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tell us about living in Detroit. What neighborhood do you live in and what makes your neighborhood unique?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I live in a primarily residential neighborhood, Warrendale. Before the 1920s it was a township, but then became a part of the city. Dearborn and Dearborn Heights border it on three sides. It\u2019s also annexed by Rouge Park, the city\u2019s largest park (even larger than Belle Isle). A unique attraction at the park is the Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Association. They have horse stables and a museum dedicated to first African-Americans to serve in the military during peacetime.<\/p>\n

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

If nothing else, I\u2019ve really learned how to consider whom my work is designed for and the perspectives of the people I work with. With such a variety of people in the community and in the cohort of fellows, it\u2019s essential to be able to adapt to different environments and meet people where they are.<\/p>\n

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

I work as a \u201cjust-in- time\u201d engineer at Lear Corporation. Lear\u2019s main business is automotive seating and electrical systems. I support the seating business for the Ford Mustang and Fusion and the Lincoln MKZ vehicle programs. Typically, I\u2019m proposing engineering changes and working with design and timing teams to ensure that the customer gets what they need, when they need it, just in time.<\/p>\n

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

At work, I\u2019ll be happy knowing that I solved customer engineering issues and helped my team get our vehicle programs off to a great start. In the city, I\u2019ll be happy knowing that I designed or implemented something meaningful for the community at large.<\/p>\n

What are you most looking forward to for the second half of your year as a Fellow?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m excited about the remaining projects because it will be a continual growth experience. The individual project will be the ultimate test of everything thing we learned over the year.<\/p>\n

What do you envision for Detroit 10 years from now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I see Detroit becoming a stronger city. We desperately need to start seeing the mid- and downtown prosperity proliferate into the far-reaching neighborhoods. Detroit can only be great if all of its residents have access to the opportunity sprouting up in the city.<\/p>\n

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone who is considering applying to Challenge Detroit’s next cohort?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t overthink it. Go for it. And when you reach Phase 2, you don\u2019t have to be Steven Spielberg to make an application video. Just be yourself and be honest and you\u2019ll be fine.<\/p>\n

To see more of Greg’s experience as a Fellow check out his spotlight video below!<\/p>\n