Affordable housing and increased investment in the city of Detroit have made it a hotspot for young professionals in recent years.
And Hillsdale College’s career services office is offering the opportunity for students to see what it’s like to live and work in the Motor City Jan. 16-17, 2017. For the third “Living and Working” event of the academic year, students will have the opportunity to visit Detroit-based companies, network, and explore the city.
Senior Mackenzie Dickhudt attended a similar visit to Detroit through career services last year.
“It gave me more options, connections, and ideas, and an interest in Detroit that changed my preconceived notions,” Dickhudt said.
Students will visit several business, including General Motors Company, Quicken Loans Inc., and Ford Field, where Hillsdale College alumni work. They’ll also have the chance to network with those alumni and more over dinner.
“This is a chance to connect students with alumni and show them what it’s like in the real world,” Assistant Director of Career Services John Quint said. “They might not otherwise have an opportunity to do stuff like this in the way we help structure the visit.”
There will also be an opportunity to experience something fun in Detroit such as a Red Wings hockey game or a trip to the North American International Auto Show.
Although Detroit hit hard economic times during the collapse of the housing market, the trip looks to expose students to the comeback occurring in the city.
“Detroit is a really great city,” Student Affairs Mentor Ethan Greb said. “There are a lot of cool opportunities that people overlook, because it has a bad reputation. But having been to Detroit many times, I’d say it’s definitely a diamond in the rough.”
Past Living and Working Trips have included Chicago, Grand Rapids, and Washington, D.C. In the future, Career Services hopes to expand to Cincinnati, Denver, and a west coast city such as Portland or Seattle, Quint said. A trip to New York City is in the works for March 13-15 during spring break.
Interested students can register for the Detroit trip on Handshake by Friday. The cost is expected to be no more than $100 per person.
“Detroit is a place of incredible potential,” Quint said. “This is a chance to meet people involved in seeing that potential come to light, people with direct Hillsdale connections or who are partners of the school.”