Dear Lia… – Detroit Community-Engaged Research Program

Dear Lia…

Dear Lia,

Hey, girl. First things first, I have to say, I’m pretty proud of you. Moving away from home is so way out of your comfort zone, and you were sure you would not do it until after you finished your degree at UM Dearborn, even for a short period of time. You’re here, away from the comforts of quiet Dearborn life, though! You’ve moved in, managed to feed yourself every day, have gone out and explored, and you haven’t even cried about how much you miss your dogs (yet). I hope you continue to embrace each day with bright eyes, a smile, and an open heart.

You went in to this with a decent understanding of what you would be doing this summer thanks to two visits to Detroit Food Academy before Monday’s start date, but you still weren’t totally sure what you would be walking into. Now, four days into the program, you have a better idea of what you expect to accomplish at DFA. You know that you expect to make a change at DFA, and hopefully one for the better. Your goal this summer is to help them build a better recruitment, retention, and engagement model, and you expect that while it will be hard, you’ll get it done – you always do. You can tell that you already fit into the DFA family, and you are getting the chance to do fulfilling work early in the program, something you expect to definitely continue. You’re waking up every day excited to do meaningful work, a feeling you forgot existed. Enjoy it these 10 weeks, and continue to seek it out after this internship. You expected to love this work just as much as you did in the past – I think you forgot just how much it feels like home, though.

You’re also really, really fired up about Detroit. Growing up four blocks from the city, you were always mad about how folks were treated. That anger has been totally reignited, though (your militant, justice-seeking spirit seems to follow you everywhere you go. You can thank your mom for that), and you feel more ready to fight for fairness than ever before. I hope you’re able to bring that to this program and beyond. You love the city, you always have. Its up to you what you do with that love, and what level of commitment you are willing to give to the city.

This letter is a little bit messy, but to be honest you sort of had a rough day because you met some of the kids at DFA for the first time and it was heavy and real and amazing. They opened up to you right away, something your supervisor said usually does not happen, and it has left you feeling a lot of things. Carry those feelings with you and continue to do what you do best – work for a better world.

You got this!

-Lia, 6/7/18

2 thoughts on “Dear Lia…”

  1. Nissa Thodesen-Kasparian

    It’s so nice to read about your excitement working with DFA! I know exactly what you mean about how exciting it is to work on projects you find are meaningful and impactful. I definitely find there is an added pressure when your organization has such large goals, but it’s a great feeling to know that you’re contributing to important causes that will literally affect lives in the city. I hope your time at DFA is what you hope for 🙂

  2. Hi Lia! I liked reading about how your relationship with your mom has influenced your perspective, I also am really close to my mom and think about the world in a very similar way. I love to see that you’re branching out of your comfort zone because that truly is where you will find the most personal growth. I’m happy you are proud of yourself and I am proud of you too, I’m super excited to get to know you better as we experience the Green Garage and the program more!

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