Math, engineering, and Hana Beydoun's path to a career at DTE Energy

Hana Beydoun learned early that HFC was a great place to find a career path.

“The faculty at HFC made me feel welcome and encouraged me. Everyone at HFC was very supportive – professors are always available to answer questions and give advice,” said Beydoun, of Dearborn, a 2014 HFC alumna.

Transferring to Lawrence Tech as an engineering major confirmed that HFC had been the right choice as a starting point. “HFC prepared me well for the rest of my education,” she said. “During my first semester at LTU, one professor told me, ‘You’re very sharp, and it looks like you transferred from a great school.’ He asked what school, and I proudly answered that I transferred from Henry Ford College.”

Finding her true passion in life

Beydoun graduated from Fordson High School in 2012. That fall, she enrolled at HFC. She wasn't sure about her major. That changed after taking a math class with Dr. Thomas Kelly and a physics class with Dr. James Smith. She soon realized engineering would be the right path for her.

“I had a great experience at HFC. The professors, advisors, and counselors at HFC helped me achieve my goals and find my true passion in life,” she said. “I always had a deep interest in researching and looking for ways to improve things, along with analyzing and studying different problems. Also, when I first started at HFC, I really enjoyed the math classes, physics classes, and pre- engineering classes; these classes had a great impact on my career path.”

"He helped me think like an engineer"

Her mentor at HFC was Dr. Hassan Mohseni Nameghi, director of the pre-engineering program.

“Dr. Nameghi had a great impact on my career,” she said. “He was always there for me and the students. He was very supportive, encouraging, and willing to do anything to help students succeed. I had Dr. Nameghi for a pre-engineering course. He started with us from the basics, he helped me think like an engineer, and showed us how to use what we learned in school in real-life engineering situations. His class prepared me for other courses I took at LTU, such as engineering management and project management.”

“Hana was a very focused, hard-working, and talented student. She was always determined to follow her dreams. She deserves the success she’s experiencing now in her career,” said Nameghi. “Hana has become a role model for women in Dearborn and abroad, demonstrating that engineering is a good career path for women. She has plans to return to HFC and organize various workshops for students – particularly female students – who are interested in engineering.”

Beydoun was a judge at HFC’s Engineering/Robotics Competition in late November.

“I was the judge for student teams proposing and building prototypes to solve real-life engineering problems,” said Beydoun. “The event was well-organized. I was really fascinated by the detailed work and careful thinking the students demonstrated when choosing designs and finding solutions for problems. All that hard work and student success is due to the great pre-engineering program at HFC.”

From an associate degree to a doctorate

After earning her associate degree in pre-engineering from HFC, Beydoun earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from LTU. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in electrical engineering from Oakland University.

Her career goal is to rise in the ranks at DTE and earn her doctorate in engineering, along with taking the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam and the Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam.

“I always tell students that HFC is the right place to start,” said Beydoun. “The pre-engineering program at HFC is excellent. The variety of courses helped me succeed in multiple areas.”