Plymouth State plays a huge role in the lives of the Osgood family. Each of the four family members enrolled at Plymouth for different reasons but share similar motives for staying.
For Kathy Landry Osgood ’93, everything just seemed to fall into place. “I felt like it was the right size,” she says. “Who doesn’t love the mountains? It is just the perfect spot.”
Future husband Jay Osgood ’92 was impressed when he came for a day tour of campus. He grew up in Massachusetts a few streets down from Hall of Fame running back Joe Dudek ’87, who had brought national attention to Plymouth with his Heisman Trophy run in 1985.
Jay Osgood ’92
Kathy Osgood ’93
“I knew of Joe Dudek and a few others who’d attended and been successful,” remembers Jay. “I loved it the first time I visited, especially the small campus feel.”
For Jay, it was the relationships that made him comfortable. “People all said ‘hi’ to each other and you knew everyone’s names,” he explains.
Kathy and Jay, both members of their respective Plymouth State basketball teams, met on a shared bus ride to an away game. “I made the first move,” confesses Kathy. They naturally connected, becoming friends, study partners, and eventually a couple. They shared a first kiss at the Rail (now the Lucky Dog Tavern) and ultimately earned degrees and married.
Fast forward a few years and they began the college search for their oldest son, Mike ’19. Blessed with the athleticism of his parents, Mike was a standout basketball player himself and, not knowing exactly what he wanted to study, his love of the sport helped steer the process.
After a number of campus visits and meetings with coaches, Mike had a list of pros and cons. “I felt like Plymouth was the one school where I didn’t have any negatives,” he recalls. “It felt like the right decision.”
“He kept coming back to Plymouth,” Jay agrees. “We didn’t want to push that on him. That’s something we always told him—make sure you love the school even without basketball.”
Kathy remembers when Mike shared that he had decided on PSU. “We were excited, and I was online the next day buying more Plymouth State gear!”
While Mike was enjoying the start of his college career at PSU, his brother Max ’21 began looking at colleges as well. A skilled multi-sport athlete, Max ultimately settled on playing football at the next level. At 6’5” and 250 pounds, his size drew the attention of a number of Division I schools around New England. He was offered a spot as a walk-on at the University of Rhode Island and pursued his dream of being a DI athlete. But URI didn’t feel right.
“He came home in October and wasn’t happy,” says Jay. “He basically didn’t like it there: the football or the school. He finished out the season and we got the ball rolling to transfer.”
For Max, the choice seemed obvious. He had heard Mike talk of how homey Plymouth was and had visited his brother on campus to experience the close-knit community firsthand. “I had liked the idea of doing my own thing and going to a different school,” says Max, “but when I knew I had to leave there was no other option. Plymouth was the only school I could think of that I’d want to come to.”
The news caught Mike off guard. “I was completely shocked,” he says. “But I think Max saw how much I enjoyed being at Plymouth, and he wanted the same experience.”
The youngest Osgood transferred to PSU in the spring of 2018 and, despite being nervous about coming in mid-year, hit it off with his new teammates right away.
And now the family is a perfect four-for-four. “I think my being here brings our family closer,” says Max. “We are all Panthers now.” Kathy echoes his sentiment. “It’s completely come full circle,” she says. “So many things have changed, but so many have stayed the same. I think that’s why Mike and Max love it as much as we loved it. It sounds corny, but we really do bleed green.”
■ Chris Kilmer ’99
