In doing so, I start to realize the importance of following a passion, something that you genuinely care about. Something that makes you feel like you're a part of something bigger than yourself. I'm not at all going to pretend like I have found my deepest, most authentic passion, because I haven't. But what I can say is that I am trying to.
At the risk of sounding annoying by bringing this up so much, travel has given me a great perspective on all of this. I was able to see prosperous and happy communities, and some that were struggling to get to that point. I started to narrow down what I felt was really needed in an environment to thrive. This came down to health and education, what I see as crucial foundations in any community.
While abroad, I had the opportunity to teach English and view the immediate impact even surface level education provided. In tourist towns, this seemed like a valuable help to locals wanting to make some money being able to communicate with the visitors. I started to think about what large-scale, more professional education systems could do, picturing the growth of eLearning or other programs providing more than English classes.
While my passions might change, I feel as though these two areas are ones I can see myself impacting in the future, and I am so thankful to be involved in an organization combining these. Working with Small Batch keeps me motivated on a level beyond day-to-day tasks. I feel like something bigger is going on, and I love being a part of it.
The other day we had a group dinner at a pop-up restaurant in Corktown. I started talking to one of the student-employees for Small Batch. I asked her how she liked working there, and I was pleasantly surprised by her enthusiasm. She said it gave her exposure and experience in the culinary industry. She's now headed to NYU, and thanks one of the directors Jen Rusciano for playing a part in this.
Just yesterday, I was at Eastern Market with my boss Jake, talking about the surrounding area. He was outlining what he saw for the future of Detroit, envisioning the immediate area as the central food district. I could tell it was some lofty hope, but a tangible future.
It feels like something big is going on here at Small Batch and DFA, helping provide healthy food and valuable education to the Detroit community. As I get lost in the daily routine, I remember the larger impact at hand.