Michael R. Cunningham
National University System
San Diego, CA USA
"I never just accept rejection; I learn from it. It’s a badge of honor to get rejected because the hardest thing in the world is to put yourself out there."
Career Roadmap
Michael R.'s work combines: Business, Education, and Accomplishing Goals
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I grew up my whole life assuming I would be a fireman because that's what my family did. I never questioned it until I got to college and realized that wasn't really what I was passionate about. I went against these expectations and decided to pursue business instead.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Business Administration and Management, General
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Bachelor's Degree
Marketing/Marketing Management, General
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Graduate Degree
Graphic Communications, General
New York University
Doctorate
Administration, Leadership, Technology
New York University
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
Born and raised in New York City—my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all New York City firemen and I grew up assuming that would be my path, too.
2.
Was a star wrestler in high school and won a scholarship to attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
3.
While in college, I realized that being a fireman was not the right path for me and that I wanted to pursue business instead—earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business.
4.
My first job out of college was as a salesman on Wall Street, working for a printing company that was owned by the father of one of my wrestling teammates.
5.
Started my own printing business, but was struggling to keep up with the technological shifts in the industry, so I went to NYU to get my master’s degree in graphic communications management.
6.
After selling my business and retiring at age 40, I made the decision to pursue a second career in education due to the impact it had on my life—received my Ph.D. from NYU and began teaching.
7.
I've taught at NYU, Cal Poly, and San Diego State University—was named dean of San Diego State’s College of Business Administration and later became the president of National University.
8.
I'm now the chancellor and CEO of the National University System, overseeing a network of educational institutions that employs more than 4,400 faculty and serves over 40,000 students.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I don't want to be a fireman.
How I responded:
I grew up my whole life assuming I would be a fireman because that's what my family did. I never questioned it until I got to college and realized that wasn't really what I was passionate about. I went against these expectations and decided to pursue business instead.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I decided to embark on a career change late in life. After selling my company and retiring, I went back to school so I could start teaching. It had it's challenges, but it was worth it.
Running my own business was really challenging. It was 24/7. I've gotten better at work-life balance as I've gotten older.
There were times with my business that I struggled to make payroll and almost went out of business, etc. I ended up partnering with a couple of other printing salesman and we were able to turn things around and grow.