DCBRP Blog Post Week I: A Letter to Myself (6/3/19-6/7/19) – Detroit Community-Engaged Research Program

DCBRP Blog Post Week I: A Letter to Myself (6/3/19-6/7/19)

Dear Josie/Myself,

The day before you moved onto Wayne State’s campus, a bout of unexpected nerves hit you. Initially, you felt ready to get started after feeling unmotivated for the first few months of summer, but when the time finally came around to leave home, worries flashed through your head. You had never worked full-time before; you had never lived and traversed through a city alone without your family; you had never had to purchase groceries for yourself every day nor craft extensive meal plans; even though you have had to make friends many times over, in the past, through your numerous moves, you still worried about forming connections with the other DCBRP students…the list could go on and on. Really, this felt like the first time you got a real taste of the adult world, a world you had begun to understand in college and a world that often feels overwhelming—and if you’re being honest with yourself—hopeless, at times. However, DCBRP provides the hope and optimism you desire and want to maintain throughout your entire life, in that it gives you the chance to work with passionate Detroiters determined to help address what often appears to be immutable social issues in a local context. You get to be included in this progressive micro and macro communal work. That is something to be grateful for, but the nerves still exist, heightened by what you feel is the vitality of this work. And you know what, that is okay. It’s a part of being a human and your overall growth.

And boy will you grow in this program. You want to be challenged at LearnEarly & Arts Resurget, the nonprofit org you have the privilege of working at that provides STEAM + literature/literacy programs to early learning community centers across all seven districts of Detroit. Today, your boss, Jillian Webb, had you and your work partner, Carson, create a list of your personal and collaborative goals. You hope to gain a deeper knowledge surrounding the history of Detroit, especially as it pertains to social justice and activism, as well as the history of LearnEarly: its mission, influence, impact, and early learning curriculum. You want to get re-in-touch with children and your inner child/childhood, as well as become proficient in leading workshops, improving your personal interactions with children and developing teaching abilities, at the early learning centers across Detroit. You want to readily accept the unknown, the fluctuations of life, and be flexible to change. You want to gain increased knowledge on early childhood development and education, combined with the nonprofit world. Lastly (you say this now, but there is probably far more you hope to learn and will learn), you want to gain tangible work skills (e.g., budgeting, writing grants, making business calls, leading meetings, making pitches, scheduling your work day, etc.). At the same time, you want to leave your mark on LearnEarly, helping contribute to its mission in any way you can. There is a lot of work to be done in addressing these goals over the next ten weeks.

On top of all the work, you want to have fun exploring the city, while getting to know the other DCBRP members. A few of you already have tentative plans to try this potato restaurant down the street, to go on runs (motivating work-out buddies!), and to hopefully check out El Club one evening for some dancing and local Detroit entertainment. You have lived near Detroit for a little over six years and barely got to know the city—now is your chance! Your summer will be full here in the city! By August, you will have grown immensely and developed more work and life skills than you could ever imagine or even recognize. Maybe you will return for a semester. You will see. In the end, Detroit will leave its mark on you.

Good Luck,

Josie

6 thoughts on “DCBRP Blog Post Week I: A Letter to Myself (6/3/19-6/7/19)”

  1. Brandon David Meinders

    Hey Josie, I appreciate your desire to do some good for Detroit and the organization you are working with. Additionally, your understanding that you have so much room to grow through this program is really good to see. I had very similar motivations for applying to DCBRP. I knew that living in a large city like Detroit without any of my friends nearby would be out of my comfort zone, but I also knew that it was an experience that I needed to have.

    1. Josephine Kate Graham

      Thank you Brandon–I appreciate it! Excited to get to know you this summer!

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