Week One (1) Blog – Letter to Self

Dear Future Emma,

As you write this, it’s your second day on the job, and by now you’ve probably (hopefully?) realized that the “real world” is a far cry from college life. You’ve noticed how your managers skillfully balance personal and professional responsibilities. As of right now you can only hope to mirror their juggling act. They all seem confident, knowledgeable and passionate.

I expect the DCBRP to afford a taste of professional life and prepare you to meet its accompanying challenges in the future. I hope it will shape you as a potential employee and help you decide the sort of worker you want to be. On a grander scale, I hope the program will teach you more about the city you’ll (we’ll?) always love. Thus far you’ve only ever passed through Detroit on short visits to the DIA or RenCen, etc. I want to explore the city’s lesser-known attractions and familiarize myself with it. I know the program will help you learn about Detroit’s history, and I’m interested in ascertaining a portrait of its current residents. What specific struggles do they face? How can I help and make a concrete, sustainable difference? Since the Regional Energy Office (REO) is based in Ferndale, I also expect to learn about that community’s past, challenges and triumphs. I expect the program to challenge you, to force you to abandon your comfort zone and help you grow as a person – I want to be more independent, self-sufficient, efficient, disciplined and driven. Above all I know the program will exemplify how you can make a true and positive difference for metro-Detroit communities and help you actualize that difference.

I know the program will meet and exceed my greatest expectations, but I am less sure about fulfilling the expectations I have of myself. I want to always be early or on time, demonstrate commitment and enthusiasm by attending all seminars/group meetings and keep an exact record of my work. I hope to take on additional tasks and prove my dedication and gratitude to be here. Overall I will strive to be a positive presence in my workplace and contribute energy, enthusiasm and encouragement to my coworkers. Outside the office, I want to make an effort to socialize, make and maintain close friends despite commuting. I will not let that get in the way of meeting some incredible people! I will strive to improve on several fronts. First, I will try to refine my social skills and grow more comfortable making professional phone calls. I’d also like to pick up some extra skills like blogging and GIS – hopefully these will make me more marketable in the future.

Through the DCBRP, I hope to gain an even greater appreciation for Detroit and knowledge of its key players. I want to learn more about policymakers and how laws and the community interact. I’m interested in learning about Detroit’s greatest environmental and social issues and seeing how I can help now/as a post-grad. Besides these, I’d love to find some interests that I didn’t know I had, and narrow down my career choices. Do I want to work at a non-profit after college? What sort of work environment suits me best? Where can I be most helpful? Overall I want to gain serious experience in the world beyond my comfortable Ann Arbor bubble, emerge from my shell and take the necessary steps to adulthood.  In addition, I’d like to make new friends with people who share my passions and interests.

Even though I’ve only worked here for an incredibly short time, I already love my job placement and organization. The REO is a truly productive, welcoming and inspirational place and I’m extraordinarily lucky to work here. I want to contribute some fresh ideas and add to the office’s already positive atmosphere. Of course, I’d also like to finish my project so that police and fire stations will actually implement our solar systems! That would be a major victory for the involved cities and for the REO. I would love to help make that happen.

At the moment, I see Ferndale as a fairly small city. I don’t have a very deep understanding of its challenges and triumphs. I love walking around downtown, but I feel pretty unacquainted with it. The streets seem only vaguely familiar. I’m eager to explore more! Regarding Detroit, after living so close all my life and visiting often, I’m as in love with it as ever. I’m starting to think I’d really love to live there after I graduate. (Note to self: I definitely need to learn how to get around more easily/learn my directions). People say that Detroit has enormous potential, and I think it definitely does, but I don’t completely appreciate that phrase. To me, having potential implies that an expectation has yet to be fulfilled. Detroit has already surpassed my dreams – I think it’s perfect. Walking around downtown is a rich experience because it takes me back to my high school memories; Detroit’s gorgeous buildings allude to much earlier times and have an awe-inspiring historicity. I get the sense that there are tons of innovative groups doing great things and sketching fantastic plans for Detroit’s future. However, they seem a little disparate. I’d like to learn whether these organizations/companies are interconnected and collaborative. I feel so fortunate to participate in the DCBRP and look forward to the rest of the summer! Please stay tuned…

Sincerely,

Present Emma