Courtney Egan-Sellar ’12, ’13G, married in February, with family Julia Redman ’12, Guy Wisinski ’85, Carrie Egan ’81, and Melissa Poltrino ’83. (family photo)

“Kids get the technology and what’s in the books, but what they don’t understand is that real life is different,” says Carolyn “Carrie” Egan ’81. Ebullient, empathetic, and wise to corporate ways, Egan confidently guides students toward employment. An international sales manager who worked her way up through tenacity and talent, this volunteer mentor is often on campus sharing intricacies of the business world, from formal dining etiquette and self-advocacy to strategies for countering sexual harassment.

Carrie was the first member of her family to attend Plymouth State, setting in motion a dynamic that encompasses her two siblings, daughter, and niece. Legacy families (multiple members of one family who enroll at the University) abound at Plymouth State, and the enthusiastic multi-generational members of the Wisinski Family personify the “paying it back, paying it forward” concept.

Carrie, Melissa Poltrino ’83, and Guy Wisinski ’85 enrolled at Plymouth State, and cousins Courtney Egan-Sellar ’12, ’13G and Julia Redman ’12 (Carrie’s and Melissa’s daughters, respectively) shared the campus experience a generation later.

Athletics is a thread that runs through the family. Patriarch Frank Wisinski, the son of Polish immigrants, was an All-American football star at Norwich University, and Carrie, Melissa, and Guy all grew up playing sports.

At Plymouth State, Carrie and Melissa were physical education majors and members of the gymnastics team; Courtney played field hockey; and Julia played varsity women’s soccer and captained the women’s ski team. Melissa also earned her Advanced Lifesaving Certification at Plymouth, part of a larger career in swimming and diving. “The camaraderie of athletics, that’s something we all share,” explains Julia.

Frank was a senior director at Texaco and, due to his corporate responsibilities, the growing family moved frequently. Seven years in Saratoga, NY, represented a period of relative calm, but when Frank was asked to take on multiple cross-country relocations he and his wife, JoAnn, decided change was in order. Frank acquired a business and JoAnn took action once again, coordinating the family move to Claremont, NH.

“Our mother is a ‘rock star’ who always made everything work,” says Guy. “Our parents have always been wonderfully supportive.”

Carrie was then a high school senior. She embraced her new state and enrolled at Plymouth State College, a fateful decision that continues to pay family dividends.

“I made immediate friends, an amazing group with different interests, and I’m still in touch with many of them,” says Carrie. “Plymouth had a homey feeling. As soon as I got on campus, I was happy and felt like I belonged. I loved it and still do.”

Carrie established the first ties to Plymouth, but perhaps the most pivotal role belongs to Melissa. If she hadn’t followed in Carrie’s footsteps Guy might not have felt a gravitational pull a few years later.

When I get to campus I don’t feel different. I still feel the same campus, beautiful, up in the White Mountains. Every time I drive by I still see Smith and Grafton, popping up there, and I think of us up on the seventh floor. Everything that they’ve done has been to make improvements. The new facilities—how awesome they are for the next generation.—Melissa Poltrino ’83

“Carrie and I were very close, and I hung out with her and her friends,” Melissa recalls. In time, she developed her own campus friendships but the sisterly bond continued, with the two later living together in student apartments and both marching in Commencement in 1981. Melissa received her associate’s degree then and Carrie her bachelor’s.

Melissa bid Carrie adieu and welcomed Guy that fall. Now the older campus sibling, she helped Guy navigate college, including a favorite memory of hiding him in her room when he was pursued by Kappa Delta Phi brothers.

Fraternity life, which later included serving as a Kappa officer and on the Fraternity Council, was just one of Guy’s many involvements. “Plymouth allowed me to get engaged in so many different areas of campus life, and that’s what led me into successful careers in sales management and leadership skills,” says Guy. He wrote for the Clock and for John Garner, the sports information director, and for John Clark ’71, ’73G, athletic director, during the “Joe Dudek era” when Plymouth football was part of the national conversation. After the manager of WPCR overheard Guy and Russell Archambault ’84 pretending to be announcers, the pair were offered regular radio slots for basketball games. Guy later teamed up with fellow Kappa brother Kevin “Sparky” Keough ’85 to announce football games.

Team bus travel allowed Guy to get to know Dean Dick Hage and other administrators, and after his love for the school was recognized it was suggested that Guy become a Plymouth tour guide. “That experience really helped me in my professional sales career,” he says.

Guy and his sisters all went on to very successful business careers yet remain modest about their academic accomplishments. “None of us were scholars by any means, but we came out of Plymouth with an incredibly well-rounded education,” says Melissa, whose career highlights include helping Harvard set up an advanced telecom system. “College is a lot more than a degree, it’s getting life skills. If we got an interview, we were able to sell ourselves because of Plymouth.”

Carrie’s continuing devotion to PSU and desire to give back found expression through the Boston Business Forum, which she co-founded along with David Poulin ’85 and Austin Smith ’79 in 2013. The club was later renamed the Panther Business Club.

The siblings would visit Plymouth when opportunities arose, and the connection grew exponentially when Courtney and Julia enrolled in 2008. Neither had previously imagined winding up together. Julia was in-state and skiing was front and center in her life, so Plymouth had a lot to offer, but Courtney lived in Massachusetts and considered several options. Carrie kept her formidable sales skills in check.

“Mom did well. She really tried to keep her opinions to herself and let me make my own choices,” Courtney recalls. “I graduated from a small high school and Plymouth didn’t feel overwhelming. I knew that I wouldn’t be another number and that I could go up and talk to my professors.”

Julia, who was to earn a degree in communication studies, arrived on campus first for preseason soccer practice. “Within a week, it was the best,” she says. “Plymouth really does a good job in making you feel part of the community right away.”

They wound up with the same circle of friends, and cousins who previously knew one another through family get-togethers discovered they had a lot in common.

Their years at Plymouth renewed the elders’ interest. “Because Julia and I chose to go, it reminded them of how amazing it is, and they got to see how much work Plymouth had done to better itself,” Courtney muses. “I think they were very proud to be Plymouth alumni and see how well the school has done.

“We’re all pretty united on our feelings about Plymouth,” continues Courtney who, like her mother and aunt, earned a bachelor’s in education. Courtney completed her PSU master’s in special education in 2013 and is now a case manager with the Hampton, NH, school district. “The program is rigorous and Mom was impressed with how advanced PSU’s technology is; she can really compare the tech level between her time and mine,” says Courtney. “A lot of things Plymouth State taught me I’m using in my school right now.”

Returning to campus, Guy joined Carrie for an event organized by Professor Robert Nadeau ’06MBA, director of the Professional Sales Program. The two filled the room. “I was so impressed by how hungry students were to succeed and that speaks volumes about Plymouth State,” says Guy. “The level of motivation got me reengaged.”

Guy was tickled that John Clark, “a person who made a difference in my life,” warmly remembered him and gave an extended tour of ALLWell North. Guy was tremendously impressed. “What Plymouth is doing with the elderly and disabled in the community is amazing—talk about paying it forward!”

Guy was invited back to keynote the annual Evening of Connections dinner. He spoke about his numerous volunteer efforts, including keeping tabs on a network of students whom he coached in youth football and helping them get interviews and jobs, and a longtime association with the Posse Foundation, which has given out over $1 billion in scholarships to help thousands attend college.

“For me, paying it forward is an honor,” Guy says.

“Guy always remembers his roots and always gives back; that’s what our mother and father instilled in all three of us,” offers Melissa. Now in his eighties, Frank Wisinski continues to be the force for good that he has modeled throughout his life. The Marine Corps veteran organizes emotional Seacoast “Welcome Home” events for returning Afghanistan troops, who have been surprised by up to 1,500 well-wishers.

Sure-footed Panther Julia Redman ’12 rappelling in Portland, ME.

The dedication of this remarkable family will endure through the Wisinski Family Endowed Scholarship Fund, which was created last year to assist deserving students in the Professional Sales Program.

Giving back and paying it forward: the world changes, and while need remains constant, methods for helping evolve. On Commencement Day 2018, Julia, ever the athlete and now working for Pro Search in Portland, ME, volunteered to rappel ten stories down the city’s tallest building to raise funds for a nonprofit youth organization. Only a Panther for Life could be so sure-footed.
■ Peter Lee Miller