Dream Big, Work Hard, Give Back

BY AUDREY BOURQUE

By the time Herman “Bing” Graffunder ’69 arrived at Southern New Hampshire University (then-New Hampshire College of Accounting and Commerce) in the late 1960s, he was not your typical freshman. He was in his early 20s and had already served in the army and earned a degree in accounting from junior college. But Graffunder knew there was more he was meant to do.

He dreamed of running a small business, and he had his sights set on a bachelor’s degree. “I had the desire,” he says, “but no money.” So, he got a good job in his hometown near Albany, NY, and worked all day and studied all evening — an exhausting schedule. Then, a guidance counselor from his high school asked if he had heard of a little business school up in New Hampshire. “He gave me a piece of paper with ‘New Hampshire College of Accounting and Commerce’ written on it and he said, ‘get ahold of these guys — they might be just right for you,’” recalls Graffunder. Graffunder ordered a catalog, submitted his application by mail, and drove up to New Hampshire on a Saturday. He was interviewed by Ed Shapiro, son of NHCAC founder Harry A. B. Shapiro and Gertrude C. Shapiro, who was by then serving as president of the institution following Harry’s passing. “I didn’t know it at the time, but this school was founded upon nontraditional learners like me,” says Graffunder. “I’ve seen the pictures of those first classrooms filled with guys in uniform learning to type and learning all about accounting. That could have been me. Thinking about that interview, I felt at home as soon as I met Ed.”

Graffunder was accepted and started immediately. “But I was still a starving student working a bunch of part-time jobs to afford my tuition,” he says. He credits Ed Shapiro with helping to change that. “I bumped into Mr. Shapiro one day in the hall, and he asked how I was doing. When I told him about my jobs

Graffunder says his favorite part about giving back is hearing from the students he supports. “I read one letter from a student that brought years to my eyes,” he says. “She was a single mom, had just been diagnosed with cancer and was about to quit. I was so proud to help with her tuition so she could focus on bringing everything she had to her education.”

Ann Shapiro, Edward Shapiro, and Gertrude C. Shapiro at the re-dedication of the New Hampshire College Library

on top of my schoolwork, he connected me with the head of public relations at the school,” he recalls. Graffunder was hired as a sports writer and traveled with the NHCAC— and then New Hampshire College— athletics teams, writing stories and taking photographs in exchange for free tuition. Graffunder’s articles were published by the New Hampshire Union Leader as well as by the college. “I found my place,” he describes. “With this job in athletics, I got to know a lot of people at the school and in the community. And I was able to graduate debt-free.” He completed his degree and was hired by Kraft Foods as a management trainee. He worked in different departments, and then at different companies in the food services industry — sales, operations, administration, leadership — always learning and always propelling himself forward. “I’m never the smartest person in the room, but I am always the hardest working,” says Graffunder. That work ethic blossomed into a fruitful career. After years in corporate America, Graffunder started his own company offering advising services to equity firms looking to invest in food businesses. Through this work, he often meets the next generation of talent, and he finds opportunities to give back. “I have the opportunity to mentor and guide young leaders, these whiz kids who are just getting started on their careers.” With all of his professional success, Graffunder makes sure he prioritizes giving back to his alma mater, too. He stays connected with SNHU, joining community service projects for Global Days of Service and supporting student scholarships. “I got a quality education at a fair price, and my time at NHCAC changed my life, significantly and profoundly,” says Graffunder. “Education is more valuable than anything you can give. If you use it properly, it will change your life.” That’s why Graffunder supports student scholarships at SNHU.

“I want to do for other people what this school did for me,” he says. “When hardworking students - especially nontraditional students like I was - feel they’ve exhausted every other opportunity but they still have that drive to succeed, I want to help.”