Earlier this month, the University of Houston’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) was recognized with the Large Chapter of the Year Award for the third time in eight years at the NSBE National Conference in Chicago, IL.
The repeat award is the latest development in a storied history of successes from the student organization, including chapter accolades, community investment in the historic Third Ward and beyond, and nearly half a century of successful career fairs.
Current chapter president Chinonso Ezekwesili, a mechanical engineering senior, first became involved with NSBE as a member. Over time, he became outreach chair, then program chair, and then decided to “take that next step” to becoming president in what is now his senior year.
“My vision for our chapter was called ‘Absolute Excellence’,” Ezekwesili said.
Between recent challenges due to administrative changes on campus as well difficulties in securing opportunities to help members feel prepared to put themselves in front of recruiters and potential employers, Ezekwesili “aimed to ensure that we focused on maximizing our potential for early career opportunities and achieving professional growth.”
Part of that effort included establishing an alumni network, which allows members to cultivate access to resources outside of the chapter — “alumni who have achieved their career goals can guide them toward reaching their own professional milestones.”
Over the past year, Ezekwesili has also emphasized the importance of focusing on high-quality programming and events “that truly do help the membership get to where they need to be, career-wise.”
“The reason this award means so much not only to me but to the organization is that the criteria for this award mean that the chapter really embodies the national mission statement.
“Whether it’s the diverse programming available, engagement, attendance at events, and not only engaging with other local chapters, but also engaging with the regional board, maintaining our presence on social media across platforms… For the national organization to say that the University of Houston has been the embodiment of what it means to push this mission statement of trying to increase the number of successful Black engineers really put a smile on my face. It’s truly amazing to have that proven and recognized at the national level,” said Ezekwesili.
These successes continue even in the wake of administrative changes at the state and national levels that have impacted available funding for organizations on campus like NSBE, as well as recent similar budgetary and office organization at many of the chapter’s sponsor companies.
“We’ve run into so many financial struggles due to the loss of funding here on campus as well as a lot of corporate funding,” Ezekwesili said. “We’ve had a hard time trying to stay afloat as an organization, but even in the face of these struggles, our mission statement reminds us that no matter the atmosphere, no matter the environment, no matter what’s going on, we have to stay relentless, driven, and motivated.”
“When we are optimistic and hopeful as leaders, it rubs off on our membership,” he added. “It helps them stay driven and motivated to push themselves to be the best that they can be.”