Living Intentionally: Honoring Luc’s Memory
As someone passionate about the outdoors and extreme sports, for Taylor Huntley ’10, Plymouth State seemed like a natural fit. Nestled in the foothills of the White Mountains, sitting on the banks of the Pemi and just a short drive away from world-class rock climbing and skiing, it made perfect sense to attend. As an Adventure Education major, Huntley quickly found himself immersed in the outdoors and discovering a new world of education and leadership.
“Both of my parents were educators and that was not something I had ever thought about”, he says. “But after learning more going through the program, it started to click that education was in my DNA.”
Taylor Huntley '10
From those early days in the classroom, Huntley became deeply involved in a growing network of aspiring adventure educators and outdoor leaders. Over his four years, he took on increasingly active roles such as working at the Outdoor Center, which gave him a sense of autonomy and purpose; co-founding the Adventure Education Club, which remains active today; and eventually serving as a Teaching Assistant under the mentorship of Dr. Christian Bisson.
It was through the mentorship of Dr. Bisson and Professor James Hannon that Huntley’s appreciation and appetite grew for personal development and giving back.
“They taught me a lot of life lessons, such as how to live with integrity and intention. Christian was always there helping me, whether it was through classes, my TA experience, or our faculty-student partnership as an advisor for the Adventure Education Club. I started to feel a sense of gratitude that somebody cared and held me to a high standard. Through that experience, I could tell that Christian was really living his values as an educator.”
Since his time at Plymouth State, Huntley has pursued a career as an outdoor educator. Today, he applies his experience while working as a Talent Development Manager for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), connecting his experiences as a teacher and facilitator with his love for the outdoors.
As for Dr. Christian Bisson, he has spent 20 years teaching at Plymouth State, playing a central role in transforming the Adventure Education program into a nationally respected model. It attracts students from across the region and the country.
But his influence extends well beyond the classroom. Alongside his wife Julie, Dr. Bisson instilled the same values of integrity, compassion, and a love for adventure in their own children, Luc and Lia. Those values were evident in Luc Gabert Bisson, who grew up within the Plymouth State community and shared the same passion for the outdoors, personal growth, and resilience that defines the Adventure Education program.
When Luc passed away in 2023 after a courageous battle with cancer, Huntley reflected on the impact the Bisson family had made on his life.
“Something we can do to honor someone’s life is to learn from them,” he said.
To carry that legacy forward, Huntley and his wife, Anna, established the Luc Gabert Bisson Endowed Scholarship — the first-ever endowed scholarship specifically for Adventure Education students. In creating this scholarship, Huntley hopes to honor the values Luc embodied and the influence the Bisson family had on him and so many others.
The scholarship will provide critical financial support for future Adventure Education students at Plymouth State, helping to ease financial burdens so they can fully engage in their educational journeys. Whether that is on the side of a cliff in Rumney, or thousands of miles away in a NOLS immersion semester.
Luc’s legacy will live on at Plymouth state not only through this scholarship, but through the students who will benefit from its impact. From the values he was raised with to his grit and determination as an athlete and a student, Luc’s story carries forward as one of resilience.
