Chelsea Denault, '12

Clinton Township, Michigan

Reimagining a city and finding inspiration

Major: History
Minor: English

Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service, Brown Honors Program, Delta Gamma sorority, Kappa Kappa Psi band fraternity, British Eighth marching band, Admission tour guide, library archivist, Phi Alpha Theta, Alpha Lambda Delta, Order of Omega, Gamma Sigma Alpha

To me, Detroit has always been a city of hope. Through the Ford Institute, I was able to share that sense of hope and inspire other students by helping to plan the Sleight Fellows Leadership Program on "Revitalizing Detroit." Over the weeklong program we worked at Earthworks Urban Farm, ate and talked with city residents at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, wandered the streets of the Heidelberg Project, and explored the city's many vibrant neighborhoods. Through this firsthand experience, all sixteen students developed a better understanding and appreciation for the city and were inspired to contribute to Detroit's renewal in their own unique ways.