Dear Peggy,
I’m sincerely impressed with what you’ve accomplished this summer. Coming into the program, you didn’t know the first thing about Environmental Justice–the prospect of learning even ONE thing from the infamous ‘Rhonda Anderson’ at the Sierra Club was exciting enough. But look– not only do you have a wealth of knowledge about environmental impacts in Detroit and communities across the United States, you feel passionate enough to continue that work beyond the program in order to start instituting some serious change. Not to mention, you were confronted with the new Detroit– as it has drastically changed from your youth– learned about its history, and you were able to enjoy living on your own for the first time with the amazing DCBRP (read: ‘D-C-*burp*) cohort.
Reading over the initial blog you wrote makes me laugh. You were so focused on the academic side of things, and it seems you truly forgot the whole point of the program. You can do research on your own, but being a part of the DCBRP means joining a community. You said it yourself, touring Detroit–going to the events, eating out, and meeting new people were the best parts of this summer experience. I hope moving forward that you never take that for granted.
xoxo
Ps. Thanks for everything, Jenna– you’ve been encouraging and supportive throughout the whole process, and you definitely deserve more credit!
Overall, I really enjoyed this summer with you all. I can’t wait to hear about the amazing things you guys do!
-P
