we had to High Point to meet one of the
most fascinating University presidents in the country perhaps the most unorthodox one
too [Music] nice to see you life is a series of turning points hey I love those shirts love
those shirts this golf cart ride on High Point University's campus every turn takes us down a
different path I love that shirt to make it keep wearing it to make it to heaven for Dr Nido
Qubein every turn leads to a smile and wave but the turning points in his life over 74 years
well you know my father died when I was six years of age and that was a turning point for me there
are turning points that led him to a path today even he would have never imagined it's changed
his life in High Point University forever how does someone without academic experience do that
well it all goes back to those turning points Nido Qubein grew up in the Middle East his
mother playing a pivotal role after his dad died my mother had only fourth grade education
but she had a postgraduate degree in Uncommon Sense at 17 his mom insisted he go to school in
the United States and pursuit of the American dream he landed at then Mount Olive College in
North Carolina what do you remember about that coming to North Carolina what was like when
he first got here what I remember is that I couldn't understand anything anybody said you
came here with basically nothing right I had fifty dollars with me and by the time I landed in
Mount Olive I had about 30 left that was a fact and I worked in the cafeteria for 80 cents an
hour and two three days later I quit I realized the pretty girls didn't want to date a guy who
smelled like broccoli so I said the heck with that Qubein moved on to High Point University
and graduated before getting a master's degree from UNC Greensboro with 500 in his pocket he
launched his first business hi ladies how are you by now you can probably tell Nido tells
a good story he's engaging funny and warm and he turned that charm into a lucrative speaking
career focused on his stories as an immigrant chasing the American dream but that big dream
started small and I had one speech, one tuxedo, and my speech was called America's Youth:
A Sleeping Giant, it's the only thing I knew. By 1978 he was getting hundreds of invitations and
to date has given nearly 8,000 speeches between that career and running investing in businesses
over the next two decades Qubein made a fortune hobnob with famous people and was living well
then in 2004 he got a phone call that would lead to another turning point and I said what
are you talking about you know I don't want to be president that was never an aspirational thing
for me to become president High Point University was known as a small liberal arts college but it
needed a huge influx of cash to fix and upgrade the campus. It took time, but Nido felt a calling
to help his alma mater so he accepted and prepared for the job and only a way Nido could. I would come
on campus Incognito, "Nido Incognito". and I would come in different cars and I would roll the window
down and see a kid and I say you know what what got you to the school do you like the school what
I learned is that my personality and my experience could in fact serve this University well.
While he lacked an academic experience, he excelled in creating connections, life skills
as he calls it. Of course I'd be honored let's do it nearly 18 years and now Nino's a rock
star we appreciate you even high school kids touring campus everyone knows Dr Qubein it's
by Design and he spends time out and about every single day. focus is more important than
intelligence the most important thing here is that student if you do not focus on outcomes for
the students then what is the purpose since 2005 to Qubein arrived enrollments and faculty are
both up more than 200 percent the campus size has exploded by 900 percent and he's used his lifetime
of connections to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars the result is a boom Beyond liberal
arts new state-of-the-art health science and engineering buildings construction will start soon
on a new dental and Law School Dr Qubein believes in academics but he also believes in teaching
life skills the entire building is dedicated to internships coaching and even a mock airplane to
teach students how to interact if they happen to sit next to a CEO and it has technology you can
plug all this stuff in oh there's also the new Arena and Conference Center named after Dr Qubein
and his wife who were donors themselves I have never been at High Point University before
and I must say that when I came onto campus yesterday I had seen pictures but I was struck
by the beautiful work that has been done here over the last seven or eight years Dr Qubein's
connections bring big names to campus who speak highly of it students can learn from the best in
business and I see so much of that here at this University that's what impressed me and that's
what brought me into HPU so I am always delighted to come here I mean is one of the few things that
I do that I really truly love you've built so much of this there's been so many resources so what
happens when you you're not here someday well um you realize that I have 28 people
here Deans, vice presidents, senior VPS, High Intelligence depth of loyalty and dedication
have prepared themselves over the last Dozen Years they really run the school life is about turning
points and for me turning points were magical because out of adversity emerges abundance it's
a matter of fact where did this all come from I mean it came as a 17 year old kid from the Middle
East and it grew into this huge a speaking Empire Yeah Tim that question is like saying I've been
president of High Point University for 18 years I'm not an academic by trade how did I know how
to do it I don't have the answer for that what I do know though is I'm willing to work hard and if
I'm committed to the cause I'll give it all I have and when I came to High Point University I gave
it all I have pictures of famous people Phil Dr Qubein's office from politicians to movie stars
but it's an old black and white photo inside a cabinet that means the most a house mother from
his time at Mount Olive when he didn't have enough money to buy a car yet another turning point
and at the end of the month Tim I looked at my balance in the checking account was 350 dollars
and then it dawned on me could she would she did she this woman making a hundred dollars a month
Social Security 100 a month for my knowledge I will never forget her words long as I live
she said I've decided it's much better for me to invest my money in the life of a budding young
man than to park it in a savings account somewhere that day my life was changed now some five decades
later in a way Dr Qubein's Life coming full circle at High Point University in many ways I began
working with young people I'm ending my life working with young people in many ways one could
say that I've invested a lifetime preparing to be president of hype University when's that next
turning point he's 74 now but don't expect him to retire anytime soon after all there's
still many more students to meet and greet on campus she should send you more money when
you need it that's right yeah I get ten percent [Music]
