Todd Angilly ’99
Todd Angilly ’99 arrived at Plymouth State in the fall of 1995, the first in his family to attend college. He studied music and nearly three decades later, he has spent his career in the justice system helping people reintegrate into society.
He’s also pursued his love of music and in 2019, he started performing the national anthem for the Boston Bruins! Todd spoke at PSU’s 152nd Commencement ceremony and encouraged the Class of 2023 to take chances, follow their hearts, and stay in touch with those who help them along the way.
Like so many students today, Angilly almost wasn’t able to come back because he didn’t know how he was going to pay his tuition. He’d just finished his freshman year; he had joined a fraternity, worked a job at the Italian Farmhouse in Plymouth, and had secured a big role in the school musical. He was “a Panther in the making.” One afternoon, his mother called and told him that after going over finances, the family couldn’t afford for Todd to return for his sophomore year at Plymouth State. A fraternity brother suggested Todd go to the Bursar’s office and ask for help. “I couldn’t spell ‘Bursar,’ but I went and made a scene,” Angilly recalls.
Ann Thurston ’80, ’00MBA, ’07CAGS
Ann Thurston ’80, ’00MBA, ’07CAGS, a triple alumna and Plymouth State staff member who held a variety of roles over four decades, was working as the Bursar on that day when Todd stormed into the office. He was in a panic and angry at the thought of having to leave school before he could complete his degree, and just as he had built a strong network and community at Plymouth State. Thurston, known by many for her calm and steady demeanor, took Angilly by the shoulders and looked him in the eye. “You are going to be all right,” she told him. “We will figure this out.”
With Thurston’s help, Angilly was able to secure the necessary financial aid to return for the next three years and graduate on time. Today, he credits Thurston’s assistance and his experience as a student in financial crisis as the reason why he decided to establish the Angilly Opportunity Scholarship for students who might otherwise not be able to finish their education. Following her retirement in June 2021, Thurston joined the President’s Council, Plymouth State’s volunteer fundraising body, and today serves as Chair, providing counsel and support to the president and the University Advancement team.
Devonte Gilmore ’24, 2023-2024 Student Body President and co-chair of the Future Alumni Board (FAB), was inspired by Angilly’s Commencement speech when he attended as a junior. Gilmore suggested that the Future Alumni Board support the Angilly Opportunity Scholarship with the Class of 2024’s Senior Class Gift, and his classmates agreed. Through raffle sales and the Senior Class Gift campaign, FAB and the Class of 2024 raised more than $4,500 from almost 200 donors for the Angilly Opportunity Scholarship! The Class of 2024 was celebrated for their philanthropy with a commemorative stone installed beside the Senior Class Giving Tree on campus in front of the HUB, dedicated in a ceremony preceding Undergraduate Commencement in May 2024.
Devonte Gilmore ’24
“This scholarship will help me continue to put myself through college,” writes a 2023-2024 recipient of the Angilly Opportunity Scholarship. “I am a first-generation college student. Without scholarships like this, attending Plymouth State would not be possible for me.”
NEW SCHOLARSHIPS ESTABLISHED BY DONORS IN FY24 (July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024):
Zachary N. Eastman ’21, ’22G Business Scholarship Fund • James Dean McAlister & Nancy Jane McAlister Endowed Scholarship Fund • Pay It Forward – Do Something for Others Annual Scholarship • George Pettinico Memorial Business Scholarship • The Sandra Crowley Prince ’64 Endowed Business Scholarship • PSU Symphonic Band Endowed Scholarship • Quigley Funkhouser Annual Scholarship • White Birch Educational Services School Psychology Scholarship
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.
