Saida,
Your first day (and almost week) of work went by already and now things are going to start racing against time as you find yourself at work, interacting with your cohort, and navigating the world outside your laptop while on your laptop. Three strong years at the University of Michigan have slipped right out of your hand, and ever since the beginning, you knew you wanted to pursue political science with the hopes to gain the right mentorship, educations, and tools to impact your community! Community means amplifying the voice of those before you and contributing to bridging inequities and wanting your community to reach their desired heights and goals. As a first-generation Latinx student, you have undergone first-hand systemic inequities and hope to be a source of knowledge for those who do not always have access to mentorship. It is why you became a CONNECT mentor and loved every day of it! Your community is composed of a fluid and intersectional identities, those who empower you, and those whose work and voice you hope to contribute to.
Detroit’s rich and diverse history of resilience and being home to many is what draws me to learn more about its history more in-depth and engage with the community members. I want to learn about its triumphs and adversities and how I can actively engage with its present structures, advocates, and activists. I hope to learn about its districts and how the came to be, but also how they are sustained and what the future holds for them. More importantly, I want to learn how to effectively produce change through non-profit and advocacy, to then bring such change in my own community. I believe that through insightful dialogues, hands-on experience, and education my learning process can be guided to help me reach the knowledge and resources to bring back to my community.
In a different personal aspect, I hope to grow very close to my cohort and learn more about their growth process, achievements, goals, and dreams and how I can support that. Already, we all are passionate about non-profit and community work. This is evident because when learning about our partnerships, I wanted to engage in all of them and although I could not, I hope to learn from my peers about them more. I am excited to also connect with other students during these times where change is happening at a fast pace. Although I wish we could all meet in person, being part of this online community still means a lot to me.
Best,
Saida 🙂
3 thoughts on “Blog 1 – Community”
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Hi Saida! I am only going into my second year at Michigan but I can already see how time manages to get away from us all. I am happy to hear your own identities and experiences have inspired you to continuously connect with your community and give back in the way that means most to you. I believe that everyone should support and put positive energy back into the places and people that helped mold us into the people we are today. I hope that you are able to learn as much as you can about Detroit and use it for your future endeavors involving your own community, despite not being able to be in the city physically. Although we have not formally met, I am happy to be apart of this community with you as. well. Hopefully we get to chat soon and good luck with week two!
Hey Saida,
I loved reading about what got you interested in Detroit since your reasons are very similar to my own. Even though I’ve lived in Detroit basically my whole life there still is a lot I don’t know about the city so I’m also looking forward to exploring the unknown this summer with you and the rest of the cohort. Even though we’re not meeting each other in person I think we’ll all build a sense of community virtually. I hope to learn more about you and your aspirations as time goes on! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to discuss Detroit’s history or just life in general! Good luck on this upcoming week.
Hey Saida,
I hope we can all grow close too even though everything is virtual. I am glad there are people like you who show a true passion for the work that is done. I respect your desire to strengthen communities and I hope you are successful. I am wishing you all the best and I know you will do great work and learn amazing things. If you need anything, let me know.