Week VIII (7/22/19-7/26/19)

I talked about this with Jenna during my last one-on-one meeting when she asked me what I had learned over the course of the program—how it’s so hard to put into words how much I have learned during my time working in Detroit and to navigate through the topsy-turvy, overload of information thrown at me over the past eight weeks. I do not think I will fully grasp the impact of this summer program for a while. I need time to let all the information and life experiences truly sink in. The same applies here, as I try to create a coherent reflection on our group events and meetings. I would say one thing—that just came to my mind—I have further learned from my time spent with the cohort on Tuesdays and Thursdays is that it is possible to relate to any person and empathize with their experiences. Whether it be the in-depth, critical conversations we had on gentrification and other politically, plus socially, charged topics in our small group discussions, to all the historical tours we went on and exhibits we viewed, to all the speakers we listened to, and more…all these experiences forced us to understand the perspectives and lives of others, in the past and present, as well as thinking critically about future implications. This, in turn, forced (and continues to force) me to reflect on and learn more about myself. I strongly believe the most vital and formative education comes from socializing and getting to know others, paired with experiential learning. Our group meetings and events merged these two together. I am definitely going to miss spending time with the cohort after the program ends and will look back fondly on our Tuesday and Thursday collective activities.

Josie