When Husniyah Alam started looking at colleges, UM-Dearborn didn’t feel like a blank slate — Alam had already visited campus several times and could picture herself here. “I heard they had one of the best engineering programs in the state,” she says. “My cousin was a mechanical engineering student here when I was in high school. She would talk to me about UM-Dearborn, and I would come with her to campus sometimes when she had to study, so I think that definitely influenced me.”
A generous scholarship package and acceptance into the Honors Program made the decision easy. Now a soon-to-be alum with a degree in computer engineering, Alam reflects on four years shaped by classroom learning and the many ways she got involved outside of it.
During her freshman year, a chance moment kick-started the campus involvement that would go on to shape so much of her experience at UM-Dearborn. “A girl was tabling for a student org in the ELB, and she talked directly to me,” Alam said. “I felt included. It was a very welcoming energy that I received.”
That encounter led her to Google Developer Groups. After joining the organization, she participated in the inaugural Hack Dearborn hackathon, now the club’s signature event, as a competitor. Despite the pressure of the 24-hour competition, her team walked away with a prize for their domain name. “We had no sleep, so the emotions were high,” Alam recalls. “We didn’t win what we were hoping for, but we still won something and left with a valuable experience, which was really good.”
In preparation for Hack Dearborn 2, Alam joined the event’s marketing and finance teams and began working on sponsorship outreach. By her junior year, she was leading sponsorship efforts, pitching the hackathon to companies and securing tens of thousands of dollars to support the event. For Hack Dearborn 4 in 2025, she served as co-director, overseeing multiple teams and guiding the planning of the entire event. “It was kind of like going from intern to CEO,” she says.
Hack Dearborn is months in the making. Planning begins in the spring for the October event. There are sponsors to secure, logistics to coordinate, teams to manage and hundreds of moving pieces to bring together. But for Alam, the most memorable moment is not the polished final product. “It’s the setup the night before,” she says. “We’re printing name tags, decorating, running around trying to get everything ready. It’s stressful, but it’s exciting. That’s when you really bond with your team.”
That sense of teamwork — and the opportunity Hack Dearborn has created for UM-Dearborn students — became one of the aspects of her college experience Alam is most proud of. The event connects participants with industry professionals, offers mentorship and networking opportunities, and even opens doors to internships.
This year, that impact was recognized across campus. Hack Dearborn was named Program of the Year at the university’s 2026 Student Leadership Awards. During the ceremony, Alam was also honored with the Silent Leadership Award, which recognizes a student who positively influences programs or organizations from behind the scenes.
Alam gained additional leadership experience with the Society of Women Engineers. She worked as treasurer, helping organize the student org’s large annual professional development conference, POWER. “I believe in creating spaces for women where they feel empowered and can build their skills to lead with confidence,” Alam said.
Alam also played a key role in bringing organizations like the Michigan Council for Women in Technology and the Automotive Women’s Alliance to campus — expanding access to mentorship, scholarships and networking opportunities for students. Across all of these experiences, she developed skills that went beyond the classroom. “Student orgs play a huge role. They helped me develop soft skills like communication, leadership and time management,” she says.
In the classroom, Alam built a different kind of foundation. She chose to major in computer engineering because it allowed her to combine her interests in both software and hardware.“I was always into computer science and technology, but I also wanted to build something physical with it,” she says. “That’s what I’m hoping the skills I learned in my major will help me achieve. Directly helping people’s lives in some way.”
That goal is at the center of her senior design project, Illuminate. Alongside her team, she is developing a smart headgear system designed to assist individuals with visual impairments. Using AI, the device can interpret surroundings and provide audio feedback to help users navigate everyday environments.
Alam says her coursework — and the faculty who guided her — were instrumental in preparing her for meaningful work that helps others. She credits faculty such as Lecturer Azeem Hafeez, for making complex topics approachable and encouraging her to explore opportunities, including research and project showcases at UM-Dearborn.
Outside the classroom, Alam gained real-world experience. In 2024, she landed an internship with Consumers Energy. Over the next two years, she worked on automation tools and workflow improvements. That experience led to a full-time offer, and after graduation, she will return to the company as an associate software engineer.
Looking back, Alam credits her rewarding college experience to a combination of opportunity and initiative. She says she hopes future Dearborn Wolverines will be brave and take a chance on something that interests them. “Whether it's joining a club, a campus job or community involvement, there will be people along the way who will provide support,” she says. “Every experience is valuable because you learn what you like and what you don't.”
Story by Kathryn Bourlier Kronner
