UCC a place to believe in for donor

In his eyes, Upper Canada College doesn’t simply meet that standard; it surpasses it. As a result, he has supported the school financially since he graduated from university and will continue to do so.

“UCC knows how to balance opportunities and requirements and does a great job of teaching boys how to manage life after university,” Cullen says. “We are well-prepared.”

Cullen draws not only on his own experience, but that of his son and, now, his oldest grandson, a student at the Prep.

“It has become a family tradition,” he says.

After graduating from UCC, Cullen went on to earn an engineering degree from the University of Toronto and an MBA from York University. Upon graduation, he worked first for Motorola, then for a California firm, before following his father’s entrepreneurial path. He opened his own business selling electric and hydraulic control systems and has since expanded to ownership of a robotics company, a music business and a brewery.

Because of his engineering background, Cullen contributes to “bricks and mortar” at UCC – “I donate to keep facilities the way they should be,” he says. He has also established the Peter W. Cullen Hockey Scholarship Fund.

“I’ve used sports as my equalizer all my life,” Cullen says. “Even when I was travelling all over the world, the physical release of energy and frustrations kept me very balanced.

“UCC has always had a comprehensive athletic program, but sometimes there’s the need of financial assistance to keep that part of the system healthy. It’s important to keep the school competitive in every aspect of the educational process.”

In fact, Cullen would love to see fellow alumni support hockey or other sports with similar scholarships.

Of course, adds Cullen, “I’ll donate to any cause UCC has. For a good education, it should be one of the first names to pop up during discussions anywhere in the world.”