Nov. 30, 2020, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Start at Grand Rapids Community College and go anywhere! Every former student has a story to tell about how GRCC – or Grand Rapids Junior College – gave them the education and opportunity to be successful. We’re sharing some of those stories, and want to hear yours!
Dr. Nkechy Ezeh said GRCC “opened the door” for her to embark on a career of advocating for children and training educators around the world, especially those working to help families overcome the effects of poverty.
“GRCC started it for me, opened the door for me, and made my life now possible,” Ezeh said in a 2017 interview.
Ezeh came to Grand Rapids in 1986 and liked to take long walks to explore the city. When she found herself in the GRCC library, a brochure for the Child Development program caught her eye.
"I wanted to learn about babies," she said. "I was pregnant at the time and without my family here, I knew that I needed help."
She decided to study child development at GRCC and found an extended "family" of support.
"I remember all too well the day I finally went into labor for the birth of my first daughter," she said. "I was taking an exam in my psychology class and it soon became apparent that something very different was happening with my body. I quietly spoke with my professor, who was more than willing to excuse me from class. I wouldn't leave until he also promised that I could finish the exam at a later date! The whole class was so supportive and that meant so much to me!"
After earning her child development degree at GRCC, Ezeh was hired by Messiah Baptist Church to work with a program that served vulnerable children in Grand Rapids and saw how poverty can have an impact on the early development of children. Parents all want to do their best for their children, but sometimes the reality of life circumstances get in the way, she said.
Ezeh completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Grand Valley State University and then earned her doctorate in child and youth studies, with a specialization in curriculum development and systemic change, from Nova Southeastern University in Florida.
She became an associate professor of education and director of the early childhood education program at Aquinas College. She was also named a Fellow with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and then became the founder and CEO of the award-winning Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative.
Ezeh believes it is important to provide support to both children and their families. She developed Empowering Parents Impacting Children, a unique two generational approach to early childhood education in which family coaches support parents to fully assume their roles as change agents for their children.
Ezeh has assisted several schools and nonprofit agencies as an education consultant, providing curriculum and evaluation expertise. She conducts professional development and parent education workshops all over the world.
Her work and support for children and families led to Ezeh being named a Distinguished Alumna earlier this year.