Meet the Interns: DJ Seaton

By DJ Seaton, Western Michigan University

Research & Data Intern, Spring Semester 2021

LEAP is, in every sense of the word, a perfect fit for me. Being a resident of Lansing for the first 20 years of my life has given me a great perspective of the hardships that this city has suffered. However, I have also seen it overcome and prosper in the face of these same hardships.

Before my discovery of LEAP, I had always wondered what was behind the surge of Lansing. I knew it had to have been a lot of moving parts, but I never knew to what extent. When searching for internships, I wanted something that would be relevant to my majors at Western Michigan University, economics and applied mathematics, but also something that I could take pride in doing.

After discovering LEAP, I immediately applied.

Upon my acceptance, I was told that I would be working of the Lansing Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) Annual Report for the year of 2020. Getting to help present the contributions LEAP has made to the city is a project I am very proud to be a part of, even if I am simply working behind the scenes on the report.

Following the completion of this project, I will be working on reviewing past projects that have been completed and researching their effect. Coming into this internship with an educational background in mathematics and economics, I hoped I would be able to work on a quantitative project; this seems to be just that. I am extremely excited to work on this project and help show the fruits of LEAP’s labor.

Through this internship, I hope to develop economic skills that will transfer into my further education as I pursue my master’s degree in Applied Economics at WMU. I am forever grateful for the opportunity that LEAP has presented me with and I plan on taking full advantage of all responsibilities laid out before me.

Category: LEAP Interns