Semester D

Hello. Hola. Konichiwa. Bojour. Guten Tag. Shalom. Aloha. Sup.

My name is Alyssa Reese, and yes I am fluent in seven different languages.  Kidding…?  Anywho, I have decided to take a break from the fast-paced lifestyle of the Dirty Deuce (Ann Arbor for all you squares) and spend the second half of my junior year in Detroit.

My time in Ann Arbor was divided between the Dude, Charlies, the psychology department (my major), and Pizza House. While all of these places are great,  I was definitely ready for a change and Detroit is about as opposite from A2 as you can get.  Growing up in Southfield, a ‘burb about 25 minutes down the Lodge, I have gotten glimpses of Detroit my whole life but I never had a chance to really explore or interact with the city.

And so far, I really like what I see.  Here are some other things I like: fireworks. roller coasters.  SUMMER CAMP. cheesy/bad movies.  bing cherries.  belly laughs.  my internship.

For the semester I am interning at Alternatives for Girls in Southwest Detroit.  AFG, which has four departments, shelter, outreach, prevention, and mentoring, works with high risk girls in helping them find alternatives, resources, and support. I work in the prevention department and so far have met some fabulous young ladies.  While our weekdays are mostly spent on site in the after-school program, I have gotten the opportunity to attend some field trips including ice skating and dinner downtown, a hip-hop show at Wayne State, a trip to Frankenmuth’s Splash Village, and Zumba classes.  And while AFG might not have a blob (see above), it does have a lot of really amazing and passionate people.