Join us for “Hats Off to Your Brilliance” by entrepreneurial alumna
This event is free and open to everyone
As part of its Winter 2026 Career Development Series, HFC will host “Hats Off to Your Brilliance: Transitioning PTK Honors into Real-World Career Success” on Monday, March 23, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Michael A. Berry Amphitheater (Room L-115) on the first floor of the Andrew A. Mazzara Administrative Services & Conference Center (ASCC) (Building L on the main campus).
Motivational speaker Linda Hannah, an HFC alumna who was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa: Alpha Xi Mu honor society chapter during her time at the College, will give the presentation. Her goal is to encourage students to unleash their brilliance.
“Henry Ford College represents opportunity and the journey of becoming who you’re meant to be,” explained Hannah. “I’m excited to return for the ‘Hats Off’ presentation, and I encourage students to walk with confidence, courage, and resilience – because how you show up truly means everything.”
About Linda Hannah
Born in Detroit, Hannah is the middle of three children. She was married to the late Howard Sweeney, Jr. for more than 30 years. She has three children and two grandchildren and lives with Keith Hannah, her husband of 12 years, in Farmington Hills.
Hannah graduated from Finney High School in Detroit and earned a certificate in court reporting from the Detroit Institute of Commerce. She later attended HFC (then Henry Ford Community College) and earned her associate degree in general business, graduating with honors. She transferred to the University of Michigan-Dearborn, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in general studies and human resources, also graduating with honors. When she was attending HFC and later UM-Dearborn, Hannah worked at AAA Michigan in Dearborn as the executive assistant to then-President and COO Douglas Bower.
“I worked in Dearborn and went to school in Dearborn, which saved me time and money. It was a win-win for me,” said Hannah. “UM-Dearborn was right next door to HFC. The College had a partnership with UM-Dearborn that made transferring there so convenient. It didn’t get much better than that.”
Since 2006, Hannah has worked for ITC Holdings Corp. in Novi. She founded Linda Hannah Speaks and is a member of Toastmasters International. In 2022, she competed in the Toastmasters International Speech Contest for the Bloomfield Club in District 28 and placed third. She has also contributed a chapter called “To Love and Love Again” to the 2021 anthology, A Widow’s Resilience: Wisdom Keys for Moving Forward in Life and Love After Death Do Us Part.
For 27 years, Hannah designed hats. She had her own business called Forever Sweeney Millinery. She didn’t plan to make it into a business; it just happened. It began when a buyer for the giftshop at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Detroit asked if she could sell Hannah’s hats in their boutique. They sold well. Eventually, Hannah joined the Michigan Women’s and Children’s Apparel Association, where she began wholesaling her hats, which have been featured in The Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, and The Michigan Chronicle.
Hannah gradually transformed her hat business into her speaking business. From 2017-22, she spoke about the history of hats at the Detroit Historical Museum and libraries across Metro Detroit. What was originally called Hat Moments became Linda Hannah Speaks.
“The Career Development Series supports students in their professional development and career planning. Students will gain new perspectives on the values of scholarship, leadership, and service,” said HFC Director of Student Activities Dr. Cassandra Fluker. “Linda Hannah will share her career and entrepreneurial journey, highlighting key mindset lessons. Ms. Hannah's strong foundation of excellence, developed through PTK and HFC, has contributed to her long-term success.”
“Hats Off to Your Brilliance” is free and open to the public. It is co-sponsored by PTK, Career Services, Counseling, and Student Activities.
For questions or more information, contact Fluker at 313-845-9838 or crfluker@hfcc.edu.