Angela Selden
CEO
American Public Education, Inc.
“If you have a dream, you absolutely have zero chance of achieving it if you don’t try.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationAngela Selden
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
I grew up in a small town in central Wisconsin.
Being from a small town, I didn’t have much exposure to the college admissions process, so I ended up enrolling at my father’s alma mater, the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.
I saw that accounting had good job security and high earning potential, so I decided to study accounting in college.
After trying a couple of accounting internships, I realized that I didn’t actually enjoy it, so I decided to add computer science as a double major.
After graduating, I spent 18 years at a large technology consulting firm—my experience there really helped me develop an understanding of career development, promotion, and mentorship.
Then I spent about a dozen years as CEO of three different private-equity backed businesses—these experiences gave me the confidence to eventually realize my dream of becoming CEO of a public company.
While running a software company serving higher education institutions, I was offered the position of CEO of American Public Education, Inc—leaving was tough, but I had to pursue my long-time dream.
Less than 10% of the CEOs of publicly traded companies are women—and now I'm one of those women!
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Career
CEO
I oversee and lead an adult learning platform.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Technology
Accomplishing Goals
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
Reach for your dreams. Maybe that means applying to your dream school even if you have no confidence you'll get in. Apply anyway. You have zero chance of achieving your dreams and reaching your goals if you don't try.
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Myself:
"I don't need to reach for more. I'm comfortable here."
Challenges I Overcame
Imposter Syndrome
