Reflecting On My Year With Challenge Detroit

On July 17th, 2020, I walked across the virtual stage during the Challenge Detroit graduation ceremony. The moment was bittersweet. After a year of balancing work at my host company (Strategic Community Partners), Challenge projects, group outings, and networking events - I had finally reached the finish line. I knew that, while intense, my year with Challenge Detroit enabled me to grow as a community-minded leader.

My Experience as a Challenge Fellow

The bulk of my time with Challenge Detroit was spent working on teams to partner with nonprofit organizations and assist with projects focused on strategic planning, outreach, talent and recruitment, and marketing. Over the last 9 months, I’ve worked on projects alongside  Detroit Public Schools Community District, Civil Rights Inclusion and Opportunity Office within the City of Detroit, Sinai-Grace Guild Community Development Corporation, Michigan Community Resources and to wrap up the year Citizen Detroit. As a native Detroiter, the projects allowed me to give back to organizations that were pivotal in my life (such as DPSCD) and learn about new organizations that are supporting positive change in the city.

Most importantly, the year allowed me to rediscover Detroit. After leaving the city to pursue my undergraduate and master’s degrees from 2012 - 2019, I returned to Detroit feeling disjointed from a community I once knew. When I left I was a young adult, bounded by the areas of I-94 and Gratiot and 7 Mile and Livernois. My worldview was limited, and therefore I felt that the City was too. During college, I grew, matured, and realized how valuable Detroit really is. Through the fellowship year, I was able to re-integrate into the city with a fresh perspective and serve the community that I grew up in, in new and innovative ways.

Looking Towards the Future 

Now that my Challenge Year has concluded, I’m excited to be moving into a full-time role with Strategic Community Partners as the Manager of Equity Initiatives. I feel proud to have a powerful title that reflects my passion for working with and in the community to create more equitable spaces for Black and brown people.  I’m looking forward to continuing to work with our partners to further their work as well as further developing professionally and personally and leading my own initiatives.

Hear more about my Challenge Detroit experience in this interview with WWJ News

Keep up with me and my ventures on Instagram @AlyssaMichelleWilliamsX

Applications and nominations for the 2020-2021 Challenge Detroit fellowship program are now open. Click here to apply or nominate a fellow by April 12, 2021.