Horizon Award recipient Sheri Cunningham leads with heart

The cheering crowd and the prestigious honor caught Sheri Cunningham, MSN, RN, by surprise. But the real wonder wasn’t the fanfare or recognition – it was Cunningham herself, the 2025 recipient of the Nebraska Methodist College Alumni Association’s Horizon Award.

Since joining Methodist in 2010, Cunningham has built an impressive career – from staff nurse to service executive overseeing Medical Observation and Short Stay Services. She strengthened her leadership skills by earning a master’s degree in nursing administration from Nebraska Methodist College in 2015.

“The education was phenomenal; I felt so much support,” she said. “It opened my mind to new perspectives.”

The Horizon Award recognizes an alum for outstanding contributions to their field, dedication to health care and high professional standards. Cunningham’s impact reaches across Methodist: strengthening advocacy at the state level, advancing patient care through the Healing Touch program and mentoring the next generation of Methodist leaders through Methodist Hospital Foundation’s Peacock Mentoring Program.

“I’ve always loved caring for people, being able to listen and understand where they’re coming from, to have that empathy,” she said. 

Those who work with Cunningham describe her as a “leader of leaders” – calm and kind, inspiring and quietly powerful. One colleague captured that spirit in verse:

No need for trophies, grand applause,
Her purpose beats within the cause.
To lead with love, to give, to guide—
To lift her team and stand beside.

For Cunningham, the unexpected surprise of receiving the Horizon Award is deeply humbling. 

“It feels nice to be recognized,” she said. “Everything I’ve been able to accomplish couldn’t have happened without the incredible support of Methodist.”