Dear Kyra,
What a blessing it is to have such an amazing opportunity to live in Detroit this summer. I’ve been in the city for about a month now (coming early to start my Econ class at OCC) and it has by far been one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. This summer I knew that I could not go back to my hometown, Kalamazoo. There’s really nothing left for me there. I needed to leave, experience new things, explore the world, and hopefully amidst it all grow as a person and discover who I am. So far, my summer has met all of those expectations and more.
In the time that I have been in the city, I have been able to connect with friends that I met during my first year of college, and reconnect with family that I had grown distant from. So far I have seen much of the “non-touristy” side of Detroit. Friends that I met during my first year of college that are originally from Detroit have invited me to their homes, toured me around their neighborhoods, and shared with me their personal experiences growing up in the city. They acknowledge the beauty of the history and the culture of the city, but they are also honest about the problems that the city is facing and how those problems affect them, their families, and their community. I have been so grateful for them sharing their experiences with me because it has allowed me to gain a fuller and more rich understanding of the city than I would have gained by just experiencing the touristy-side of Detroit. I am so excited to experience everything that Detroit has to offer.
When I say I’m blessed, know I really mean that, because aside from having the opportunity to be able to learn about and live in such an amazing city, I also have the opportunity to work hands on in Detroit’s neighborhoods at literally the coolest organization, Brilliant Detroit. I had never heard about Brilliant Detroit before the Detroit Community Based Research Program. When reading through the options for community placements upon being accepted into the program, Brilliant’s mission really resonated with me, to serve and empower families, so I made it one of my top choices.
I’ve only been a part of the Brilliant team for about two days now, but I swear I fall more in love with this organization every hour that I am here. From the people I work with, to their goals and their mission for the community, I see it as the perfect fit for me and I could not be happier with where I have been placed. I knew this was the place for me when in one of my meetings, the director said “this organization is on a mission to change the world”. This has always been a dream of mine, but I hesitate to tell it to people because of how lofty and perceivably unrealistic that dream is. But to have someone else say it, and to have them explain how the work that I will be doing with them will help achieve that goal was the most amazing feeling.
Now my task is to live up to that goal. I hope to be able to learn the organizational skills and learn how to strategically turn an idea into an impactful program that changes lives, changes families, changes communities, cities, states, and eventually the world. During my time working with Brilliant I will contribute my creativity, my fresh perspective, and my eagerness to advocate for and support individuals and families who seek our help. I am beyond excited to do whatever it is that they need me to do to advance their purpose and mission. I know that It is going to be an amazing summer.
