Patrick Siller

As an undergraduate student at Central Michigan University, Blossom Hill knew little about Mount Pleasant’s culture.

But now, the 23-year-old graduate student from Detroit knows much more, since she was hired as Isabella County’s new diversity director.

“I’ve met so many people in these three weeks,” Hill said, who recently familiarized herself with area organizations and local government.

“It’s a good feeling,” she said. “I feel even closer to my community that I am living in.”

Though many define Mount Pleasant as a “college town,” Hill said, it is much more.

Hill said the area is constantly growing and expanding. Where once Mission Street had a couple anchor stores for shopping, new restaurants and other offerings pop-up left and right. Along with those stores come more people, and more community-related challenges.

The combination makes it an exciting time to take an administrative role in local government, she said.

Hill is young compared to many city employees, but she does not see her age as any hindrance to the job. In fact, she said, it may well serve as a benefit.

“Things I don’t know, I don’t pretend that I know them, I want to learn. That’s what I think makes the difference between me and someone else,” she said. “I’m just learning; I’m like an open book.”

Hill majored in political science as an undergraduate and professor Christopher Owens remembers Hill as passionate about diversity and ready to make a difference.

“She’s spent a number of years in the community as a minority,” he said. “She understands the good and bad of this area.”

Hill said she plans to increase awareness of diversity issues in the community and act as a liaison to residents concerned about the topic.

“People think there are no problems and the city is fine where it’s at, but there is always room for evolution, to grow,” she said. “It’s time to get to work and just bring my ideas and create that merger between everyone to try to reach some common ground.”

Hill hopes to work with gender-related issues and also those pertaining to sexual orientation and physical disabilities. The task is large, but one she will take one step at a time.

Isabella County Administrator Tim Dolehanty, who was part of an internal committee that interviewed Hill for the job, said she already had a plan of action before even being offered the position.

“I can say with absolute confidence that I have never had a candidate for this job that was more prepared than Blossom,” he said. “She’s able to hit the ground running after already participating in many both on- and off-campus programs.”

Hill challenges students to make the most of their time in college and to delve into as many new experiences as possible.

“Coming to the university showed me that the world is full of diversity,” she said. “It’s full of people who agree or disagree, who will either love you or hate you,” she said.

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E-mail the author: Heidi Fenton