Alumni / Milestones in Diversity / Roland Cruickshank ’94
Roland Cruickshank ‘94
CofC alumnus Roland Cruickshank ’94 of Houston is President of Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, TN. Previously, he was President of Vintage Hospital Northwest Houston, and prior to that served five years as Vice President of Operations at Houston Methodist Hospital.
Mr. Cruickshank is originally from Trinidad and Tobago and was offered a scholarship to play basketball at the College. He also considered attending the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY, and Iowa University in Iowa City, IA, but was drawn to the College because “it is a great school in a great location.”
from the student run paper, Cougar Pause.
While at the College, Mr. Cruickshank lived at 32 Wentworth Street in what was then “the Basketball House.” He played for legendary Coach John Kresse and the team went to the NCAA Tournament in 1994. Being at the College and playing for Coach Kresse taught Mr. Cruickshank “the value of team work and building relationships that respected and celebrated other cultures.”
Mr. Cruickshank said that the College was “a family affair” and one of his favorite memories of the College was seeing his sisters, Aisha Cruickshank Singletary ’00 and Dimsoy Cruickshank ’02, cross the Cistern after him.
After receiving a degree in political science from the College, he earned his masters of health administration from the Medical University of South Carolina and a masters of public affairs from the University of South Carolina.
1993-94 Basketball team that went
to the NCAA tournament.
His advice for current College students is to “enjoy the moment and actually try to learn not just regurgitate answers for a test. Take time to connect those who don’t look like you and learn from the entire experience of being a college student. Have fun! It’s the last stop before life really kicks in. After graduation, take a trip and see a few other countries before charging into a career, grad school, or whatever.”
“It’s very important to give back to society, whether financially or by volunteering. Focus on making a positive difference whereby you can add value. Become a person of significance and live a life that counts.”