City kid Nathan Santoscoy: Sophomore admires the city's spirit

Indian Village is home for Nathan Santoscoy, his parents and little brother. He's a sophomore at Cass Technical High School.

Model D: What do you love about living in Detroit? What would you change about it?

Nathan:
The thing I like about Detroit is the city's spirit. It seems that no matter how hard we get put down we somehow find a way to get up, dust off, and keep on going. I hope that by growing up in a city with that kind of character, some of it will rub off on me. 
If there was anything that I could change about Detroit it would be its public image, because many people who don't live in the city unfairly judge it. They look at the city and they can't get past the abandoned houses and buildings to see the nicer areas of the city or the people who live in the city. Most of Detroit is no different from any other industrial city in the U.S., but because so many people migrated to the suburbs the city that once held near 2 million people now holds only 600,000. 

Model D: What is the coolest thing you did in the city last year?

Nathan: Go to the Dequindre Cut and ride my bike with my family. Last summer, that's where my little brother learned to ride his bike. 

Model D: What do you like about your school?

Nathan: The thing I most enjoy about my school, Cass Tech, is the diversity of the student body. 

Model D: What are some of your hobbies and Interests, and how does your school or living in Detroit support those pursuits?

Nathan: The main thing I like to do in my free time is to read books, and going to my middle school helped develop that passion. I went to a Catholic elementary/middle school called St. Clare of Montefalco, and at St. Clare they stressed reading. We even had a 45-minute period after lunch to read.

What do other city kids say about their life in Detroit? Click here for more. Send feedback here.

All Photographs © Marvin Shaouni Photography
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