From club lights to classroom insights

Nick Hussein’s path to the classroom didn’t begin in a lecture hall—it began behind the scenes, managing his own nightclub and rolling banquet carts. Hussein was just 15 when he slightly exaggerated his age to get his first hospitality job at the Ann Arbor Sheraton.

“I got in as a bellman. Then I became the head bellman, the concierge and chauffeur for the Berkshire Hilton of Ann Arbor,” he said.

By 25, proving that he was king of the hustle, he had achieved both of his high school dreams: launching a successful car audio business and opening his own nightclub. “I turned 25 on the VIP floor of my nightclub looking down on the dance floor and just thinking—I did it.”

Hussein didn’t stop after realizing his dreams and even after building a résumé that included opening a Courtyard by Marriott and leading regional sales for hotel properties and golf resorts, he kept moving forward. He returned to college in 2008, inspired by his first experience guest-speaking at CMU.

“I came in as a guest speaker in 2008 and I spoke in one of the hospitality courses and afterwards just loved it. Just really loved engaging with the students and I noticed the students really tuned in to my stories,” he said. “And it inspired me to go back.”

By the time Hussein walked across the stage to receive his bachelor’s degree in 2013, he had already built two businesses, worked in executive-level hospitality roles, and raised a family—all while studying, teaching, and holding multiple board positions.

“I earned my bachelor's—to be the first generation of my family to earn a college degree,” Hussein said. “I still get choked up [thinking about] the day I walked across that stage. Afterwards I walked up to my father and he was so teared up and proud.”

And surely, it was time to slow down? Not for Hussein.

He went on to earn his master’s from CMU in 2016. “I was literally up all night long,” he said. “I was teaching a class at Central, Northwood, and Ferris, working on my master’s, and still being a dad.”

That relentless energy defines Hussein—and benefits every student who walks into his classroom. “What I love about our program and our university is that we’re very focused on research and practicum,” he said. “I cover the practicum side of it. I bring the real life.”

He doesn’t just teach theory—he challenges it. “I look at the textbooks and say ‘this could work in Chicago or California or LA or New York, but let’s talk about Michigan. Based on my experience, this is how it works in Michigan.’”

His professional network is equally real. “I can get any student an interview—they still have to land the job themselves,” he said. “I’ve got quite a few contacts in the workforce that I introduce our students to.”

That same dedication extends beyond the classroom. Hussein serves as faculty advisor to both the Hospitality and Tourism Association (HTA) and the professional sales and marketing fraternity Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE). After stepping into the PSE advisor role during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he helped student leaders rebuild and reinvigorate the organization. His mentorship and support have made a lasting impact—recognized nationally when he was named PSE’s Faculty Advisor of the Year in both 2022 and 2025.

“It was so surreal,” he said. “You are nominated by your students. I went on stage and [the MC] said, ‘I’ve never seen this.’ Everyone in the audience was standing up and clapping.”

But Hussein doesn’t see himself as a leader—at least not in the traditional sense.

“I don’t consider myself a mentor. I don’t consider myself a leader. I’m the CEO of Nick Hussein, you know?” he said. “Everything else just happens naturally.”

His leadership philosophy carries into how he supports student organizations. “If any faculty is reading this, remember—as an advisor, you don’t run the RSO. It’s student-ran. I am a voice. A bulletin board. An idea. A bouncy ball.”

That philosophy of empowerment resonates in everything he does—from preparing students for sales roles to helping them understand the universal relevance of hospitality.

“Every degree offered in the College of Business has a path under the hospitality industry, it’s a great degree as long as it comes from the College of Business,” he said. “You can go work at a restaurant, you can run a resort, you can oversee a hospital. It’s got so many different paths.”

And for those unsure about what comes next?

“Don’t forget—you already are in sales,” he said. “Your first job interview is a sales call. You’re selling yourself.”

Hussein’s own story proves that success isn’t about following a linear path. It’s about moving forward with purpose, embracing each new chapter, and helping others do the same.

“We all have a start date. We all have an end date. The dash is life. Go live your dash,” he said. “I want to leave everything I have—every knowledge, every experience—to my children and to any student that wants to listen.”