One KSU alumni recently spoke about his journey from growing up in poverty to becoming the CEO of a multi-million dollar company.
Michael Dunn, founder of ML industries — the largest privately owned airbag manufacturer in North America — was born into a low-income family in the small town of Crandell, Georgia. He said he never truly realized his economic status as a young child, which Dunn attributes to the fact that his childhood was so full of love and encouragement.
Dunn said that it was not until middle school that he began to notice the difference in his life compared to others, and he later admitted to slacking off in high school.
“I was not a great student in high school because I didn’t think I was going to college so I didn’t try as hard as I could,” Dunn said.
Nevertheless, the life Dunn once viewed as his biggest curse he now sees as his greatest blessing, he said, as it taught him the value of hard work during trying times and the importance of having an encouraging circle of friends and family.
“Surrounding yourself with good people gives you a better opportunity to be successful in life,” Dunn said.
That notion of success paid off for Dunn when he signed a baseball scholarship in 1977 with Southern Polytechnic State University, now KSU. He remained diligent during his time in college, balancing part-time jobs alongside schoolwork and daily baseball practices. When it came time to decide between finishing his degree and taking a job with a successful company, the choice was not an easy one.
Ultimately, however, he went with the job offer. Ever since leaving college in 1981 with only 13 hours left to graduate, Dunn said he felt that a part of his life was missing and that he still had plans to finish his degree in the future.
That future came many years later when he woke up one morning and told his wife that he was going back to college. In fact, the day that Dunn re-enrolled at KSU was exactly 37 years to-the-day after he left college to pursue his career.
“There’s a sense of self-confidence once you get your degree that is unmatched,” Dunn said.
Dunn said he was honored to be at KSU’s December 2018 commencement ceremony as a graduate and was also honored to be allowed the opportunity to speak at the event.
Encouraging students to pursue success with everything they have, Dunn said that being surrounded by good people and a having a giving heart for one’s community should be the biggest driving forces for that success.
“The biggest lesson that I’ve learned after graduating and going into a career is that people are the most important part of the equation,” Dunn said.
