To the Residents of South Phoenix,

                           New and Old           

                I want to start out by saying thank you for letting me explore around your town.  I had so much fun learning about the changes that are in transition in your neck of the woods.  To the newbees of South Mountain Village, your dedication to reinventing South Phoenix is commended. I learned about many things while visiting your town, the most important being the diversity of your town. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at the Buddhist temple. This was a prime example of pure diversity molding together in such a small amount of space. 

        I was saddened to learn about all the problems that may be caused from both the Rio Salado projects as well as the existing businesses that don’t comply with city standards. I do however, believe that you all can band together and with the help of people like Steve Brittle, make a difference in your community.   

        I was very impressed with the Habitat for Humanity projects undergoing around parts of South Phoenix. I couldn’t think of a better community than one that fuses together both affordable and not-so-affordable housing. Hopefully, your example will spread to other parts of this country.

        The past 2 months has allowed me to see the many sides of real-life issues that you cannot get from sitting in a classroom.  I think that I gained more from this learning process than I even realize today. From helping build a house for a Habitat family, to walking the steps of the “Beyond the Banks” project, to eating lunch at the Ranch Market, to exploring around an old abandoned building, I can honestly say that these are memories I will never forget.     

        So thank you South Phoenix, thank you Kristin Koptiuch and thank you my fellow classmates, this was a experience I will carry with me forever.

Sincerely,

Jill R. Houda  

Student of Fine Arts and Sociology

Arizona State University