John “Jack” ’83, Anya, Sasha, and Laurel Cunnane
After graduating from Plymouth State, John “Jack” Cunnane ’83 entered the Army as a commissioned second lieutenant—an officer in charge of a unit of men. The leadership experience molded him.
“When you’re 22 or 23 and put in charge of 30 soldiers right out of college, it develops you and gives you experience managing and leading people,” Cunnane says. “It gives you a sense of ethics and principles, and a sense of urgency about what you’re doing.”
Cunnane served in the Army for 35 years, 28 as an active-duty officer and seven as a senior Army civilian. He retired in 2010 from active duty at the rank of colonel.
Over the course of his career, Cunnane had two tours in Germany and one each in Korea, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. His state-side assignments included Fort Devens, Massachusetts; Forts Lee and Belvoir, Virginia; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Fort Hood, Texas; and multiple tours in D.C.
“All were exciting and challenging assignments, and I would do it all over again,” he says.
Cunnane is partial to his first tour in Germany because he met his wife Laurel there in 1987; she, too, was in the Army. They also appreciated their time at Fort Hood later in life because they enjoyed horseback riding and the cowboy lifestyle. Serving in Bosnia, though, was a painful experience. “Seeing the ethnic and religious differences and how it affected neighborhoods and towns; It was a tragic time. It had a powerful impact on me.”
Throughout his career, Cunnane had a mantra: Do the right thing for the right reasons. It carried him through each of his deployments and assignments, and it carries him still.
Jack and Laurel, who now live in Alexandria, Virginia, began giving back to Plymouth State many years ago, making annual donations and increasing their gifts over time. In 2023, they established the John ’83 and Laurel Cunnane Scholarship, which has now been awarded twice to deserving undergrads at Plymouth State. Preference is given to students who are the first in their immediate family to attend college and/or to students with a parent who served in a branch of the United States military.
The Cunnanes are fierce advocates for secondary education, as were their parents, believing it opens doors and creates opportunities. Without his degree, Cunnane would not have entered the Army as an officer; doing so gave him advantages. Jack and Laurel have two daughters, now 26 and 27, who they supported through higher education, and they have helped others in the family reach academic goals as well. Through their scholarship at Plymouth State, they will support countless more young people.
Plymouth State is the institution that earns Jack and Laurel’s loyalty because Cunnane still feels a personal connection here. “I loved Plymouth,” he says. “It was such a positive experience. I made friendships that have lasted a lifetime.”
Cunnane grew up in Keene and decided to attend Plymouth State in part because he wanted to be at the same school as his brother, Mike Cunnane ’82. Jack played on the Norsman Men’s Rugby Team and was active in the Kappa Delta Phi fraternity.
During the summer of his junior year, Cunnane, who grew up in a military family with a father and several uncles who had served, attended an ROTC summer camp. He enjoyed it and stuck with ROTC for his last two years at Plymouth State; his participation made scholarship funds available to him for tuition, books and a monthly stipend.
Jack and Laurel were thrilled to meet the first recipient of the John ’83 and Laurel Cunnane Scholarship in 2023 at a Connections Brunch on campus.
“It put a personal connection to it,” Cunnane said, noting that after the event, he and Laurel decided to work toward endowing their scholarship and increasing the endowment so that the percentage every year is meaningful. “We hope all future recipients are able to continue their education and graduate.”
ESTABLISHING A SCHOLARSHIP
Establishing a named scholarship is a meaningful way to honor a family member, a mentor, or a specific passion of yours. A named annual scholarship can be established with a four-year commitment of at least $2,500 annually. Alternatively, you can create a scholarship endowment with a minimum gift of $50,000, which will generate a 3% to 4% annual payout to provide scholarship awards in perpetuity.
For more information, visit plymouth.edu/giving, or contact Director of Development John Scheinman P’19, P’21G by phone at (603) 535-2805 or via e-mail at jscheinman@plymouth.edu.
