{"id":21069,"date":"2017-07-05T15:12:23","date_gmt":"2017-07-05T15:12:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.challengedetroit.org\/?post_type=blogpost&p=21069"},"modified":"2017-07-05T15:12:23","modified_gmt":"2017-07-05T15:12:23","slug":"fellow-spotlight-athena-grills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/challengedetroit.builtrare.com\/blog\/fellow-spotlight-athena-grills\/","title":{"rendered":"Fellow Spotlight: Athena Grills"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tell us about some of your favorite ways to experience Detroit outside of work and Challenge Detroit.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since a majority of my current goals revolve around personal and professional development, I find that I\u2019m typically engaging with the city by attending workshops and\/or volunteering. I\u2019m consistently amazed by the sheer number of opportunities there are to learn, network and volunteer in Detroit. I find myself at Bamboo Detroit a lot, learning about social media, blogging, writing a bio, building a brand, etc. I also volunteer several times per month with the Detroit Institute of Arts. I spend a lot of my Saturday mornings there at the information desk, learning from my fellow volunteers and DIA leadership and interacting with visitors.<\/p>\n

What have you learned from Challenge Detroit during your fellowship year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"To say that this year has been a learning experience is an understatement! I\u2019ve honestly never learned so much. Working alongside such an amazing group of talented and successful individuals has been so inspiring and motivating, and I\u2019ve learned something unique from each and every one of the fellows. It\u2019s challenging to speak to all that I\u2019ve learned, but something specific that really sticks out to me is the power of collaboration. Challenge Detroit has given me the opportunity to work closely with such diverse individuals and organizations. In the past year, I\u2019ve been fortunate to have worked with some of the most passionate, motivated people I\u2019ve ever met. Seeing the work that can be done when you bring the right people together has been eye-opening. It\u2019s kept me on my game all year, and it\u2019s a huge confidence booster to feel like you have your place among such a remarkable group of people \u2013 and when I say that, I\u2019m referring to fellows AND the organizations we\u2019ve collaborated with. Both have had a deep impact on my life.<\/p>\n

Tell us about your host company and your role in the organization.<\/strong><\/p>\n

My host company is Marketing Associates, where I proudly work as a Graphic Designer on their creative team. I\u2019m doing something different each day at my job \u2013 which I love. I have a wide range of responsibilities, many of which focus on internal communications and projects. My primary focuses throughout the week are the management of Marketing Associates\u2019 social media accounts and deliverables related to our 50th anniversary, which we\u2019re celebrating this year. Social media is a big job, so I work with a small team of incredible people who have taught me so much about social media management and analytics. I enjoy the work I do with social media, and in many ways, have fostered a connection between social media and the work I\u2019m doing related to our 50th anniversary. It\u2019s been a unique opportunity to learn about Marketing Associates\u2019 storied history and connect with important figures who have made a momentous impact on the company. I recently launched a social media campaign titled \u201c50 Memories from Our 50 Years\u201d on our Facebook page, which will run through the end of the year. It has been a true labor of love! I\u2019ve genuinely enjoyed crafting each post and am looking forward to sharing our history with the community. In addition to \u201c50 Memories from Our 50 Years\u201d, I\u2019ve been managing aspects of our 50th anniversary book, which will be produced at the end of this year. It will be very exciting to see that project come to fruition. I\u2019m so proud to have a hand in it!<\/p>\n

What kind of impact do you hope to have with your host company and within the city?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Within my host company, I hope to continue to grow as a professional and diversify my skill set so that I can be a strong asset to my team and, ultimately, contribute to the continued success and growth of Marketing Associates.<\/p>\n

Within the city, I hope to become more deeply involved with some of the incredible organizations I\u2019ve had the opportunity to work with throughout the year. I hope to be able to utilize my skills as an artist and designer to elevate the powerful work that\u2019s being done in the city. I find a real sense of success and satisfaction in being able to use my skills to support these organizations on their journey.<\/p>\n

What are you most looking forward to this summer in Detroit?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My host company is located in the Ernst &\"\" Young building in Campus Martius Park, right in the heart of Downtown, and the beautiful weather brings such an awesome energy to the area. There is so much hustle and bustle \u2013 everybody is out and about, enjoying the outdoors, walking to lunch, smiling, laughing, etc. I love being able to join the crowds and step outside, sit in the grass and soak up some sun over lunch. It\u2019s so nice having the opportunity to step out of the office and recharge when you need to.<\/p>\n

What do you envision for Detroit 10 years from now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 10 years, I envision a city whose entire population is given the opportunity to thrive. It is my hope that the transformational work that is happening in Downtown, Midtown and Corktown will make its way to the neighborhoods, where there are Detroiters who are more than deserving of a safe, prosperous community where they can comfortably and confidently plant their roots.<\/p>\n

To learn more about Athena’s life as a Challenge Detroit Fellow this year, check out her spotlight video.<\/p>\n