Alumna lands prestigious water-quality engineering internship

HFC alumna Buchi-Nkem [“BOO-chie n-KEM”] Elizabeth Ezeoke ["ee-ZO-kay"] will begin an internship at the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) in Detroit this summer.

Ezeoke, of Ann Arbor, is excited about serving as a water engineering intern. Her duties will include:

• Assisting with the repair of aging infrastructure
• Working on the GLWA’s capital improvement project
• Conducting fieldwork
• Assisting with computer-aided design (CAD)
• Supporting project managers

“I was so ecstatic when I learned I got this internship!” said Ezeoke. “Being an engineering student, you’re always working on homework and studying for exams and dealing with complex problems. This internship will allow me to see the day-to-day life of an engineer. It’ll give me opportunities to work with engineers and learn from them, so I’ll get a better idea of what it’s actually like to be an engineer in a real-world setting.”

The GLWA provides nearly 40% of Michigan’s population with high-quality water, as well as effective and efficient wastewater services to nearly 30% of the state. It tracks the movement of water from the environment to its member partner communities and back to the environment. Its purpose is to ensure its partner communities get the highest-quality water using treatment standards that are stricter than state or federal requirements. Once the water has been used, the GLWA runs it through its treatment process before returning it to the environment. In early 2026, Channel 7 reported that the GLWA launched an $87 million tunnel project to reduce flooding.

“In addition to her writing wonderful stories for The Mirror News, I had the good fortune to have Buchi-Nkem Elizabeth as a student in two Honors Program service-learning directed studies,” said HFC English instructor Dr. Peter Kim. “I was amazed by her dedication and enthusiasm, and I am so pleased to see her continue that drive to help others in such impactful ways by interning with the GLWA. I know they will be as impressed as I am with her talents, intellect, and altruism."

“HFC will always be home”

Ezeoke graduated from John Glenn High School in Westland. She earned her associate degree in pre-engineering from HFC. After graduation from HFC, she transferred to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she is majoring in electrical engineering and minoring in philosophy. She also completed coursework at Wayne State University.

During her time at the College, Ezeoke was a member of:

• The Henry Ford II Honors Program
• The Dr. Henry J. Bowers Focus Group
• The Mirror News

Through the Honors Program and the Bowers Focus Group, Ezeoke volunteered at Alternatives For Girls, a women’s shelter in Detroit, and Keep Growing Detroit, a nonprofit dedicated to cultivating a food sovereign city. She also participated in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) at U-M.

“I miss HFC. To me, HFC will always be home,” she said. “It’s so different compared to U-M. These small differences can have a large impact on your experiences. A lot of non-traditional students at HFC are immigrants, working parents, first-generation college students, people from all walks of life from working-class backgrounds trying to make something of themselves – I can relate to that so much. All of this prepared me to go on and live my best life at U-M.”

Academic success expanded through HFC experiences

Ezeoke recently completed her first semester at U-M. She was a member of Black Girls Do Science and the National Society of Black Physicists. For the 2026-27 academic year, she will be the historian of U-M’s Chapter of NSBP.

“It was a whirlwind, a really eye-opening experience. I didn’t know what to expect when I transferred. Even though it was a culture shock, it was still an amazing experience. I’ve grown in a lot of ways I never thought possible: Living on own, paying my bills, taking back-breaking courses, putting myself out there even when it’s scary,” she said. “Academically, it’s rigorous, but I love it. I want to be challenged academically. There are so many great professors at U-M with such groundbreaking ideas. I admire them and would like to be more like them. I really peaked in this environment, which deepened my love of education.”

Black Girls Do Science president and founder Bryne Berry has worked with Ezeoke many times.

"Elizabeth has a bright future ahead of her. She is ambitious, talented, and caring. She came to our ‘Science of Slime’ booth at the Bailey Park Halloween event in October 2025 and immediately asked how she could get involved with our organization,” recalled Berry. “I am so proud of her for applying and getting the GLWA internship. I see nothing but success in her future and am proud to help mentor her as she gives back to our community!"

Strong proponent of community colleges

Ezeoke’s goal is to become an electrical engineer and teach part-time at a community college. Ezeoke can see herself making the switch from the private sector to higher education at some point.

“I never imagined myself earning a master’s or a Ph.D. I didn’t think it was feasible until I went to U-M,” she said. “I’m going to be a strong proponent for community colleges, especially HFC. Why? Because HFC transformed my life, made me a better student, and provided me with a fantastic foundation. Teachers truly cared about me at the College; I grew from the special attention they gave me. As a result, I learned more about what professors do and higher ed, and I grew as person. HFC prepared me very well for transferring to U-M.”