The entrepreneurship and innovation come from a true commitment and that has blown me away, even in my single week here. If there is anything I can give back to the city, it would be the same dedication that its citizens provide. Despite the economic hurdles the city will have to overcome, i believe that it will do more than succeed, Detroit will thrive again. I am incredibly grateful to have a chance to be a part of this change. The dedication and pride are truly pervasive and contagious.
Specifically with Detroit Food Academy, I hope to be able to start their Small Batch program for them and have it running to a point that students would be able to take over its operations by the time I leave Detroit. This will be difficult as there is a lot of work to do, but I feel hopeful, especially with all of the support that has been shown to Brianna and I from every corner. Especially from the kids. Visiting Central High School with DFA was a great experience as I was able to see some of the kids that were actually a part of the program and how much the program meant to them. The kids have really adopted this program as their own and taken ownership which I believe is incredibly important to the continued success of the program. Just like the native Detroit residents I mentioned before, the kids’ love for their city and pride in what they were doing is second to nothing I have ever seen. The concrete part of what I want to give back is the completion of Small Batch, but I think the true scope of what I want to give back is actually more clearly defined by same level of commitment I have seen everywhere, and to be worthy of being able to stand toe to toe with all of the people I see around me.