Anthony Kinsey lives in Jefferson Village on the East Side with his parents and two brothers. He's a 17-year-old senior at
University of Detroit Jesuit High School, with hopes to attend University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University or New York University in the fall.
Model D: What do you love about living in Detroit? What would you change about it?
Kinsey: The reason that I love living in the city of Detroit is because of the plethora of activities that it has to offer. I love going down to the Boll Family YMCA Downtown and beating my dad in squash and racquetball. Another thing I love about the city is the Auto Show that comes annually. The vast amount of people that this event attracts is ridiculous. Another thing that I like is the HYPE teen center at the Main Detroit Public Library. I am a part of the teen advisory board; we host events to bring teens into the library.
The main thing that I would change about the city is putting in a mass transit system that would allow people easier access to Detroit.
Model D: What's the coolest thing you did in the city last year?
Kinsey: I enjoyed going to see my friends Elizabeth Garrett and Atif Hashwi in the Mosaic play "Winter Wonderland" at the theatre in the DIA. Going to Roast in the Book Cadillac hotel gave me the opportunity to eat one of the best burgers that I have ever ate in my life! My friends and I went to Campus Martius and enjoyed ourselves while ice-skating; it was more fun than going roller-skating. I loved the feel of being on skates outside — it was so refreshing.
Model D: What do you like about your school?
Kinsey: The thing that I like about my school is the vast network of graduates. Whenever I mention U of D Jesuit to a graduate, his face lights up and typically he has some great story about what happened to him while at U of D. The instant reaction lets me know that the U of D experience never gets old, in fact as the graduates age they seem to appreciate it more and more. Another thing that I love about my school is our great host of intramurals that can be played during free periods and lunch. I personally enjoy playing ping-pong during lunch. I also appreciate the rigorous college preparatory curriculum my school offers that prepared me to earn eight credit hours at Harvard University in the summer of 2009.
Model D: Tell us about your hobbies and interests and how your school or living in Detroit support those pursuits.
Kinsey: I enjoy playing sports and giving back to the community. I enjoy going to the Boll Family YMCA where I can play basketball, squash, racquetball, football. Sometimes I practice my soccer skills in their facilities. My school and city both foster my love of volunteering. My school has a Big Brother Big Sister program; we spend about two hours every Tuesday with the young men at Bagley Elementary. The experience at Bagley is like no other; I give my time to help young men develop a sense of who they are. I am currently the president of the teen board of the Greening of Detroit. We volunteer our time to insure that the city includes teens in its initiatives to keep the city green. Lastly, my family and I volunteer at the nursing home every other Saturday and play bingo with the elderly.
What do other city kids say about their life in Detroit? Click here for more. Send feedback here.
All Photographs © Marvin Shaouni Photography
Contact Marvin here
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