Kyle Dimick ’24
For someone who didn’t expect to continue his education after high school, Kyle Dimick ’24 certainly has taken advantage of his Plymouth State opportunities, serving in student leadership roles within the School of Business, including as President of the Marketing Association of Plymouth State (MAPS). He recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and minors in Philosophy and Pre-Law, achieving an overall GPA of 3.96.
In his junior year, Dimick excelled at Plymouth State’s Panther Pitch—an entrepreneurial competition similar to the Shark Tank television program—where he won the Howard Frederick Entrepreneurship Award for first place, and the People’s Choice Award.
His award-winning invention is a Bluetooth automatic nail clipper. It is geared mostly to those who have accessibility issues but can be used by anyone, as he came up with the idea when he was attending physical therapy for a shoulder injury and noticed that some people attend sessions just to have their finger- and toenails trimmed.
Dimick’s invention, as well as his numerous other accomplishments, caught the eye of the American Marketing Association (AMA), who awarded him the AMA Robert Delay Social Impact Scholarship. Only a dozen collegians every year win the award, given to students who are “making a positive difference at the local, regional or larger community in terms of the environment, social justice, economic fairness, health conditions, quality of life or other social concern.”
“I am honored to be chosen for this award,” Dimick says. “This is just the beginning. I have a lot more planned; I want to start my own company to help people with accessibility and motor issues live independent lives. Recently I have been working to secure a patent for my first product. I have been awarded preliminary patent protections and am just waiting for the government to process the final paperwork.
“In the meantime, I am continuing to develop my business strategy, speak with possible investors, look for a manufacturer, and file for trademarks, among other tasks. I am extremely excited for the future and grateful to everyone who has helped me get to this point. I have a lot of momentum and look forward to turning this into a successful business that can help improve people’s quality of life.”
Colin Graham ’01
In addition to faculty and staff, Dimick credits Plymouth State alumni for taking an interest in his success. He has been mentored by entrepreneur Angela Watts ’05, who partnered with Mark Cuban and Ashton Kutcher on Shark Tank for her Fun Brands LLC company, and Colin Graham ’01, a Partner at the renowned global executive search and leadership advisory firm, Spencer Stuart, where he leads their Global Industrial Practice.
Graham helps corporate boards with CEO succession planning and recruits CEOs to public and private equity-backed companies. So, Graham knows ability when he sees it. “I am frequently sought out for my opinion on very talented leaders,” he says, adding, “I met Kyle and thought, ‘He is a star.’”
Dimick caught Graham’s attention when he was awarded the Colin S. Graham ’01 Business Leadership Endowed Scholarship several years ago. The two were introduced on Zoom, and without pause, Dimick told Graham he’d suffered a serious injury in a skiing accident in high school, which led him to become passionate about inventing devices to help people with everyday tasks. Graham was impressed with the young man’s transparency and directness, and the information helped him understand how hard Dimick worked while in college. The two have kept in touch, and now Graham is invested in Dimick’s future.
“Kyle is so special,” Graham says. “I am looking forward to keeping in close touch as he embarks on his career, which I know will be outstanding. He stood out immediately in terms of what he has overcome and equally for his potential.”
Graham founded the Colin S. Graham ’01 Business Leadership Endowed Scholarship several years ago to provide support for an undergraduate student who is enrolled in the School of Business. He wanted to give back to Plymouth State University for helping to shape him and bolster his career path. “The University was excellent across the board,” he says.
He is impressed with the Panther Pitch program and would have been all-in if it existed when he was a student. “The fact that Plymouth offers that in such a unique and inspiring way is brilliant.”
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.
