After working with the Detroit Food Academy for almost 10 weeks and being involved with UROP I must admit it has been a great experience. Despite feelings overwhelmed at times, I have no regrets about my choice for the summer. I can not truly express how much I value the skills I’ve learned, and the knowledge I gained. My organization constantly expressed how much they appreciated the ideas I brought to the table throughout the summer, and I made me feel like I was not just apart of the Detroit Food Academy family, but the Green Garage’s family as well. Just being around such a positive community kept my mind at ease about Detroit’s future state of being. They are doing so many positive things for Detroit, but because they do not draw “high ratings” the media looks over it. What truly amazes me is how despite hardly getting any attention they are never discouraged, and continue to work hard. Completing a fellowship with a non-profit organization has even made me consider following a career path working with non-profits.
The Green Garage is going to be really empty without its summer fellows’ and interns’. I’ll miss those Friday community lunches, Fresh Corner Cafe’s cookies, the special Green Tea, and morning donuts. In the near future, I hope I get the opportunity to be involved with the Detroit Food Academy or even the Green Garage. When people ask me what did I do over the summer my response will be, ” I made a difference.” I’ll encourage other friends to try and be apart of this program too similarly to how I influenced Kerrel Spivey.
