Metropolitan Gardens

  • What's next for Detroit

    Summary of the Valedictorian address from the University of Detroit Mercy's 2011 McNichols campus commencement ceremony given by Dima Daimi, Junior designer at Rossetti. Dima received her Masters in Architecture from the University of Detroit Mercy in May.



    Detroit is a phenomenal city with a prosperous past that has suffered a great hardship. Today’s Graduates believe in the city and understand the vast opportunities it offers. Because I graduated from a University that is in the heart of Detroit; a university that has played a crucial role in the reinvention of Detroit, I have discovered the city with intense passion. I have grown to understand Detroit’s unique urban fabric and am both shaped and fueled by its energy.

    Today’s youth and recent graduates are facing a difficult economic climate. However, in the face of adversity, we are very optimistic in understanding that it is up to us not to leave the city of Detroit; to influence its future. As a recent graduate, I feel it is our responsibility to educate as many people as possible of the opportunities available in the great city of Detroit, and I am proud to call it my home. I see Detroit as a blank canvas of opportunity where I can take my new found entrepreneurial spirit and make an impact on society through architecture.