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Michael R. Cunningham Highlight
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.
About Michael R.
- 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.
- Was a star wrestler in high school and won a scholarship to attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
