Well here it is… the end of my time in Detroit. I believe that this has been a summer of growth. I learned so much and gained so much respect for the city of Detroit. In my first blog post I realized that I did not know much about Detroit. In my own words,”Motown, cars, and poverty” summed up my knowledge on Detroit. Thankfully, that perception has changed.
When the internship began, I expected to learn more about Detroit and its people as well as the people and I did just that. I learned that Detroit is more than what is shown in the media. Detroit is filed with people who are passionate about their city and are willing to put in the effort to make change. Detroit is a city where you can experience multiple cultures, just by visiting different neighborhoods. Detroit is a city with an aspiring past and a more aspiring future. I also learned a great deal about community-based work, which was my second expectation. A major lesson learned was the importance of keeping the community’s wants and needs first. A lot of times community-based programs can lose sight of that and come into a community with a “savior” mentality, but in actuality community members know their needs better than any non-profit. That’s why respect is so important. I know that these lessons will make me a better CEO for my own non-profit in the future. Thankfully, I can say that my expectations that first week were my reality.
The lessons I learned in Detroit are apart of my evolution as a person. Through this program I learned about more than Detroit and community-based work, but myself. I learned that my passion for social justice can make a difference now and that you must listen to others to make great change. So, to end my blog series I must say I am very thankful for this opportunity.
