Last Tuesday I had the ability to attend a special meeting designed to help spur both our government and our people to action on the pertinent issues facing our state in the 21st century. This meeting, arranged with the help of the Governor's office in Southeast Michigan, included some of the brightest members of our state, and was held at a local business that has the potential to not only help change the fate of Detroit and Michigan, but the world as a whole.
When we met at Next Energy, located on Randolph street in the Midtown area of Detroit, all of us were impressed by this structure. In the midst of a city known for its decaying heritage of days-gone-by, to see these stylish, modern, and environmentally sound buildings emerging from the ashes brought Detroit's motto to life. Then, after a guided tour of the facility, we learned the broader implications of the growth of this non-profit corporation in our own back yard: technologies and products researched here are poised to reach millions through both the private sector and military applications, with some work even being done on a global-scale.
Afterward, we convened in the central plenum to focus on our group. When we, the 'Michigan Millenials' started discussing our backgrounds and our goals for the future of our state, we realized that our potential for change was just as great as the work being done at Next Energy. Our backgrounds and standpoints were varied, but helped to shed light on the multi-faceted issues that Michigan needs to deal with. Combined with officials from the Governor's office being on-hand to add their voice, we ended up leaving the meeting with a true sense that, at future sessions, we would have the power to effect real change in this state and bring Michigan back on track.
