There & Back - John Hill

by Nettie Boivin

August 30th, 2007 in Advice, Careers, East Lansing, Features, Jobs, Jobs We Want, Lansing / Jackson, Newsletter, The College Issue

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MSU grad returns from Nashville to work with Spartans as they transition from campus life to interesting careers in and around Michigan.

Name: John Hill
Age: 35
Occupation: Internship Developer in Career Services at Michigan State University

1. Briefly describe your experience growing up in Michigan:

I grew up in the Detroit area (Lake Orion). I remember going to the DIA, Greenfield Village, plays at Meadowbrook and attending sporting events at the Silverdome, the Palace, Cobo Arena and Joe Louis. We lived near a lake and I remember swimming all day during the summer and playing hockey all day in the winter.

2. Where did you go to college?

Michigan State University. I graduated with a journalism degree in 1997.

3. What led up to moving away?

I had an opportunity to become a sports editor for a daily newspaper in Franklin, TN, just south of Nashville. That job opened the door for me to work at Athlon Sports, a national preseason sports magazine with an annual circulation of 1.3 million. It was a fantastic opportunity.

4. Where did you move?

Brentwood, TN, about 10 minutes from downtown Nashville.

5. What did you do there?

Due to our jobs, my wife and I were exposed to fantastic music and sports events. We liked to hang out at the Bluebird Cafe where song writers would give the back story on their songs made famous by musicians. We would annually attend an event called Steeplechase, which was a series of horse races. It was the social event of the year and everyone wore suits and the woman wore their best hats. We loved the music scene there. Their was a lot of young talent throughout the area. It was a vibrant city.

6. What led you back to Michigan?

Family. My wife grew up in DeWitt, MI and we thought it would be great for our children to grow up around their grandparents.

7. What are some of the most important new perspectives you brought back with you?

There are opportunities to make our cities more vibrant and interesting to the creative class. Nashville’s leaders did a fantastic job of connecting young people with events and entertainment options within the city limits. They used those events to showcase that the city had eclectic living, work and shopping options.

8. What are you doing now?

I’m the Internship Developer in Career Services at Michigan State University. Essentially, I work with business, non-profit and public sector entities to create internship and experiential opportunities for MSU students.

9. Interesting people/places/orgs you think are doing coolest things in Michigan.

There are a lot of economic generators that are trying to spur change like SPARK in Ann Arbor, LEAP in Lansing, the Right Place in Grand Rapids to name a few. They’ve taken on a difficult task of igniting economic revival. Those entities are also reaching out to resources like Michigan State University to develop programs to show students graduating from our universities that Michigan has viable career options for them post-graduation. I applaud their efforts.

10. Favorite things about where/what/who you are right now.

I have a fantastic opportunity to connect people together in the role I’m in now. I’ve worked to develop internship, job shadow, mentoring and entrepreneurial programs with partners like the City of Lansing, the Detroit Red Wings, GM Planworks, Michigan International Speedway, Campbell-Ewald and many, many more.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Michigan is a fantastic state. I think that gets lost sometimes through the publicity of budgetary and economic woes. There are jobs available here — specifically in the technology- and health-related fields. There are heavyweights outside of the automotive industry who reside in Michigan — Google and Quicken Loans come to mind. I chose to raise my kids here. Enough said.

After a five-year stint in Chicago, Nettie returned to her native Michigan to discover the state's infinite production of creativity. As editor of MiLifeMiTimes.com and Media Mix Director for BrainGain, Nettie spends her time writing about and promoting Michigan's reinvention through its outstanding arts, culture and creative talent.