Paying it Forward
The Panther Business Club Scholarship
“You get out of it what you’ve put in.” Brett Lucas ’11 is fond of this maxim, which he modeled as an undergraduate and now exemplifies as a successful alumnus. Lucas is a leader of the Panther Business Club—a Boston area alumni chapter—that recently established a new annual scholarship for top performing business students.
Lucas was president of the Marketing Association of Plymouth State (MAPS) and was one of the first students certified through the University’s Professional Sales Program. He currently serves on the advisory boards of both programs and regularly returns to campus to share his expertise.
He is an account executive at Quick Base, Inc., a high-growth software company that has become a nexus for Panther advocacy and opportunity. Lucas, Nick Juselis ’14, and Colin Murphy ’13 met as students through MAPS and, unlike their co-workers, they proudly display college banners in their Cambridge, MA, offices.
“We talk about Plymouth all the time,” says Lucas, who came to the firm through recruitment by Murphy. “We’re all top performers, and the common ground is Plymouth. Now at Quick Base, leadership specifically looks to recruit from Plymouth. They are only hiring exceptional people, and I find myself referring a lot of alums.”
The Panther Business Club, established in 2013, promotes and supports business connections, lifelong friendships, and Plymouth State. Lucas encourages fellow alumni to get involved and give back as campus speakers, through networking, attending club events, and supporting PSU philanthropically.
The Panther Business Club Annual Scholarship Fund will make awards to students in financial need, and Lucas stressed that there are other considerations as well. “We want to reward leadership. The primary driver is to reward those leading both inside and outside of the classroom.”
For more information and upcoming Panther Business Club events, visit plymouth.edu/pantherbusinessclub.
Watch Brett Lucas discuss the Panther Business Club online at plymouth.edu/magazine.
Alumni Chapters
Chapters are geographic or affinity/interest-based groups with the following goals:
- Grow the network of alumni by hosting events, building initiatives, and providing opportunities for personal and professional development by connecting with PSU and 37,000 alumni.
- Connect back to PSU through volunteer opportunities. Alumni contribute their time and talent to drive the success of students as well as the greater PSU community.
- Support philanthropic goals by collectively raising funds for causes at Plymouth State that are important to them through social media campaigns, fundraising events, outreach efforts, and other engaging and interesting efforts.
Plymouth State alumni are connecting to make important things happen! Join an established chapter or affinity group, or help us build one of these new chapters:
• North Country, NH
• Washington, DC
• Panther Gridiron Club (Plymouth State Football)
• Colorado (Denver to Ft. Collins Front Range)
• Florida (Tampa, Ft. Myers, Orlando)
• LGBTQ and Allies
Would you like to get involved or share ideas for growing connections across our network of 37,000 Plymouth State alumni? Contact Rodney Ekstrom ’09G at (603) 535-2217 or alumni@plymouth.edu.
■ Peter Lee Miller
Tags: alumni Panther Business Club
