Faces of Global | Alum Daniel Cueto: A Graduate 13 Years in the Making

Denver-based Cueto graduated from CSU Global summa cum laude in 2017 with a B.S. in Organizational Leadership – but it was a hard-fought goal to reach. Cueto had been trying to complete his degree for nearly 13 years. It wasn’t until colleagues recommended CSU Global that Cueto was able to see the finish line. 

Cueto was a successful sales trainer at DISH Network when the reality of not having a degree set in. After applying for another position within the company and not receiving an interview, he realized that although he had an impressive skill set, “I didn’t look that great on paper.” He did eventually move into another training role at DISH, and it was there he realized his passion for learning, leadership, and knowledge facilitation. “It was nice to finally know that I had found my calling, especially in a corporate environment,” he shared. 

However, his general manager (and good friend to this day) called a meeting with his direct reports and told them, “If you don’t have a degree, you’re not on my bench.” Cueto admits that this conversation hit hard. “There was a big push from DISH Network at the time to pursue higher education,” he said. “That’s when I began speaking with my peers, some of whom were currently attending CSU Global.” A colleague suggested that Cueto’s military experience could transfer as credit, not to mention the GI Bill funds still available to him. 

No sooner did Cueto enroll at CSU Global than he learned that his wife was expecting their first child. He began putting limitations on himself: “If I don’t get this degree finished by the time my daughter is born, I’m going to quit. How can I possibly work a full‑time job, be a husband, be a father, and go to school?” 

Cueto’s wife, colleagues, and instructors were constant sources of motivation. However, at one point Cueto questioned whether he was just another icon on the other side of the screen to his instructors. 

“For a moment, I was frustrated because I wasn’t sure how a certain class would benefit my degree, and I was giving myself another out. I sent an email to the instructor and he actually called me and asked when I would have time to meet about my concerns.” Cueto remembers wondering how he’d fit a call into his already busy life, but to his surprise, the instructor offered to meet on a Saturday morning. “That could have been the difference between me staying or leaving.”

On the wall in his office, Cueto proudly displays his CSU Global diploma, dated March 5, 2017 – the date of his daughter’s birth. 

“I wrote my final paper two days before her birth, in the middle of the night. My wife came in to tell me that her water had just broken.” On their last day in the hospital, Cueto remembered to check his final grade. He had finished his bachelor’s degree with a 3.92 GPA. “I could not have more perfectly project managed the birth coinciding with the end of my degree,” he reminisced. 

Looking back, Cueto’s self-imposed roadblocks are ultimately what pushed him to raise his own standards and finish stronger than even he expected. Cueto, now a father of two, looks forward to sharing his story of perseverance with his daughters someday. “My wife will probably encourage our children to go to college right after high school, but I will share my approach. If it’s not the time for them to get a degree yet, they don’t have to follow that path.” 

Cueto’s advice for prospective students? To find their why. “You’re going to have things thrown at you that will make you want to quit,” he shared. “But if you have at least one true ‘why,’ you have something to work for.” 

These days, Cueto has risen up the ranks at DISH Network and is applying his degree and leadership skills as the company’s training program manager. As for what’s next? “There have absolutely been talks about going back to CSU Global to get that MBA degree. We’ll see!”

October 3, 2022