Scholar Stories: 'Be Water' -- Ingram's Michigan Journey Defined by Growth, Versatility
2/11/2026 3:40:00 PM | Water Polo
Continuing the series that began in 2016-17, each week MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories.
By Jonathan Franchi
Being part of a family rooted in high athletic achievements, University of Michigan water polo's Brooke Ingram was surrounded by competition and various sports from a young age. Being the daughter of a Division I football player and sister to two Division I athletes, Ingram has always had a competitive drive and a strong work ethic, aiming at success at the highest level. Growing up playing more traditional sports such as soccer and basketball, one suggestion in sixth grade changed her life forever.
A friend of Ingram's father was the director of a water polo club in Ingram's hometown of Santa Barbara, Calif., and contacted Ingram's mother, suggesting that she try playing water polo. Ingram was initially reluctant, thinking the sport was too difficult for her, but she gave it a chance and was at practice the next week.
"I remember after my first practice, I was like, 'I'm never doing that again. That was terrible,'" said Ingram. "And then my mom was like, 'Just stick it out for the summer. Let's see what happens.' I stuck it out, and I ended up really liking it. And then I eventually switched to two different clubs that were a little bit more competitive, and after that, there was no going back. I definitely knew it was my sport."
Finding her true love for water polo, Ingram was able to improve her skills in competitive environments in California. She attended a high school with an elite water polo tradition that had won the regional championship and produced several Division I athletes. Being surrounded by those factors helped Ingram focus her attention on a college career, but she ultimately credits her family for instilling essential values in her and supporting her every step of the way.
"I grew up in a very competitive and athletic family, which I think contributes a lot to my drive to get to Michigan, so it's always kind of been in our nature," Ingram said. "From the get-go, we were all thrown into a million sports. My dad was always my biggest coach growing up until I got to water polo, but I would say my parents have been huge in my support. They've always kind of thought that I can shoot for the moon.
"And I think when getting recruited throughout high school, that was a huge help to me because I wasn't sure if I could come to a place like Michigan, and their encouragement helped me realize that this is very attainable for me."
Wanting to branch out from California, Ingram landed in Michigan, where she has played an integral role on the water polo team each of her first three years. Originally a defender, Ingram has also played the center and attacker positions at U-M. In her senior year, she is taking on the utility position, further displaying her versatility and team-first mentality. After accumulating 31 points last year asa junior, with 28 coming from goals, Ingram was voted a team captain for her senior year.
"I mean, it's the honor of a lifetime. It was such a dream of mine to come to a school like Michigan, and being able to serve my team in that position has been such an honor," Ingram said. "I feel so much gratitude toward my teammates for believing in me to step up to that position; it's been awesome. I love my team more than anything. They're my best friends."
The California native has enjoyed a stellar career in the pool, but she has also discovered her passion away from water polo. Unsure of her career plan as a freshman, Ingram used the advice of a veteran teammate and majored in Sport Management with a minor in Real Estate, an industry in which both her mother and sister have careers. Following a marketing internship with a collegiate summer league baseball team in Boston, Ingram decided that working in sports was not necessarily best suited for her, and she focused all her attention on real estate. This past summer, the senior captain completed an internship with CBRE, a large commercial real estate company in Boston, which reaffirmed her passion for a career in real estate.
"I was an advisory and transaction intern for CBRE in Boston on the industrial leasing team, and I was able to learn so much about the industry as a whole," said Ingram. "Although I was on the leasing team, there were so many different aspects I was able to learn about, like capital markets, the debt and structured finance team, consulting, and how there are so many avenues within real estate, which kind of intrigued me even more. And I really, honestly just loved that it is such a client-driven career."
Being a people person, Ingram enjoys the relationship-building aspect of real estate and has been able to see the similarities between working in real estate and being a high-level, competitive athlete. In addition to her internship with CBRE, Ingram has also become the vice president of the Michigan Athletes in Real Estate Career Club. Being a member since her sophomore year, Ingram has looked for opportunities to get more involved as she became more interested in real estate, culminating in her VP position.
"It's been really cool," Ingram said. "I'm able to use what I've learned from my internship to help other students, as well as grow my own network within the Michigan community and the real estate community, to help other athletes learn more about this industry."
Now, as a senior in her final year at Michigan, Ingram is grateful for all the experiences that have shaped her and helped her find herself in all areas of life. At Michigan, Ingram has seen her confidence soar and has learned a lot about herself through the people around her, adapting to changes along the way.
"My coach's favorite thing to say to me is just 'Be water,' meaning adjust to anything and be ready for anything, and at first I kind of hated the saying, but now I've grown to love it, and I kind of have bought into that."
From position changes in the pool to life changes pertaining to career plans, Ingram has fully embraced that mantra. The senior captain has flourished in all aspects of her Michigan career, strengthening her professional profile. Preparing for life after graduation, Ingram will approach the future with the same attitude and resilience that have gotten her here, ready for any challenge that comes her way.
