Hi everyone! My name is Kailah (pronounced Kayla) and I’m working with Detroit Public Schools (DPS) Office of Homelessness and Foster Care (OHFC). My first week has been interesting, as I had a delayed start date due to internal processing issues. Despite this, I was met with welcomed on first day as thought they already knew me. They opened their arms to me, and the rest of the community were in introducing themselves and letting me know who they are. I’ve met many members of the Divine Nine here, and even met someone in my organization, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. I’ve realized since being here that community is truly what you make of it. The people here are only connected by the organization they work in, yet they’ve developed genuine friendships with their co-workers. It’s evident that the people here enjoy what they do, and
I was attracted to working in Detroit because I’m from the area. I grew up mostly in Redford, Michigan. My Dad lives in Detroit and I’d go between my parents’ houses. I graduates from Renaissance High School in 2022, which is located on the west side of Detroit. Coming back and serving the community through this program felt like natural transition into professional development. I consider myself to be a conversationalist which seems to have only been strengthened by working in DPS. I’m learning more about interacting with people professionally instead of casually. I’ve shook hands and realized that my grip is nowhere near tight enough. There are little things I’m learning about making those interactions lasting and meaningful. Soon, I’ll start making phone calls to DPS parents regarding their students’ housing status, meaning I’ll have to be even more picky with the words I use and approaching the conversation with tact.
Over the course of this program, I hope to develop professional skills. I believe it’s important to do so while in college so transitioning to the work field is more smooth. I was attracted to this program so could develop those types of skills in a setting that’s flexible enough for me to learn and make mistakes. With the site I’m at, they’re understanding of by background and are happily working with me along the way.
