Somes is second from right. Photo courtesy Challenge Detroit.
Sarah Somes ’13 knew as a sophomore at the College of Charleston that she wanted to study urban planning and take what she learned back home, to Detroit, Mich. (she grew up in nearby Grosse Pointe). She is now one of 31 fellows (chosen from 700 applicants) at Challenge Detroit, a leadership and professional development program that invites tomorrow’s leaders to live, work, play, give and lead in and around the greater Detroit area for one year.
Q: How did you find out about the fellowship?
A: Since I was more than 600 miles away from Detroit, I kept in touch with the activities taking place as best I could by searching the web, following people and groups on Facebook, and exploring when I would go home for the holidays. My junior year, I was walking around downtown Detroit I stopped in a storefront called the D:Hive. They were performing a community survey on what people wanted to see happen in the public spaces downtown. They had poster boards with different ideas described at the top with pictures – ideas such as playground, picnic tables, sand bar, street vendors, varying types of street furniture, and more – you were given 6 dot stickers to vote for your favorite designs. This was right up my alley!! Urban planning and design with high community involvement working to improve public open spaces! D:Hive is a GREAT organization, so I signed up for their emails, which are sent twice a week and have job opportunities. In March of my senior year, they announced Challenge Detroit was opening their application for year two, and the rest as they say, is history.
The application process was four parts. First, I had to send my resume and explain in about one sentence why I was right for the fellowship. They narrowed it down from 700 and for the second part of the process, I had to answer three essay questions and submit a one-minute video following a prompt. The third phase was to promote my video on Facebook to get as many votes as I could. (I was just over 200 but some candidates were over 2,000! That made me nervous. Haha!) Then about 60 people were selected for interviews and we were flown to Detroit for a nerve-wracking two days.
RELATED: Watch a video about the interview process
Q: How do you think a fellowship is different from starting a job right out of college?
A: A fellowship is definitely different than starting a job right out of college because, in my experience, you have more flexibility to learn and explore the company you work with. This opens opportunities to find an area of the organization that you fit well with, as opposed to being hired for a specific position. Also, my co-workers are interested in everything else I am doing because they know that I am not solely focusing on this one job. The fellowship also really helps with adjusting to the professional world because it eases you into a lifestyle that is different from college. I’m now in one office from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., where I used to have a change of surroundings, occasional naps, four hours of sailing practice, 8 a.m. workouts, walking outside between classes, and lunch breaks with friends. It has been really hard, but in this fellowship you have an “executive champion,” someone who is not your boss, but can be a guide into the professional world and help you navigate your work culture.
Q: What do you do in a typical day?
Photo courtesy Challenge Detroit
A: Hmm… well I guess I have two types of days, but neither are typical. Monday through Thursday I work at the Edw. C. Levy Company in the Natural Aggregates Division. My unofficial title is real estate and environmental support specialist. Currently, I do internal property assessments and commercial and residential research, mine plan reclamation, and development design for our mining properties in Michigan.
Related: Watch a video about the culture of Edw. C. Levy
On Fridays, all the Challenge Detroit fellows work together to help improve a regional organization. We work with one organization for five Fridays in a row, then move to another organization. On the fifth Friday, we make a presentation to the organization on everything we’ve done, which includes interviewing, community conversations and surveys, social media interactions, researching and data collecting, creating prototypes and testing them, and much more.
A night on the couch at home is a rare occasion for me. Networking events, lectures, panel discussions, music/art events, fundraisers, volunteering, fresh air with friends, and so many other activities keep me busy and make each day exciting.
Q: How did the College of Charleston prepare you for the fellowship?
A: At the College of Charleston I developed my leadership, self-confidence, hard work, dedication, knowledge about urban planning and theories, and my ability to think critically. A degree from a liberal arts school prepared me for this fellowship because it taught me how to view things from multiple perspectives, just as Challenge Detroit requires a collaboration of eclectic skills and backgrounds to attack challenges from a variety of angles and use creative and innovative solutions that I believe cannot be achieved without perspective.
RELATED: Sarah talks about the urban studies major
Q: What is your favorite thing about the fellowship?
A: Wow, there’s so much, but if I had to pick one, my favorite thing about the fellowship is the energy of everyone I work with and how much it is connecting me with the city. The fellowship is making the city feel like home faster than a regular job would because I am making so many connections and exploring so much more than I would/could have before.
Q: What do you think will come next in your career?
A: I plan on staying in the city, with a job that fosters my growth as an urban planner and facilitates my ability to give back to my neighbors and enjoy the many special things Detroit has to offer.
