By
Boston College Director of Undergraduate Admission John L. Mahoney, Jr. was presented with the highest award given by the New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC) .
Conferred June 5 at the association’s annual conference, the Harry R. Carroll Distinguished Service Award recognizes a college admission counseling professional whose contributions and achievements merit special recognition and whose work reflects the spirit and principles of its namesake.
Harry Rowland Carroll (1924-1982) served the University of New Hampshire and Colby College for 25 years and provided leadership, guidance and counsel to colleagues in New England and throughout the United States, with a dedication to the highest standards of excellence. The award recognizes this commitment and achievement, to the organization and in the profession.
Mahoney was presented with the award by Grant Gosselin, a member of the University’s Class of 1997, who went on to work for him at Boston College, and now serves as Babson College vice president of enrollment and dean of admissions.
Gosselin praised his mentor and friend’s professionalism over more than three decades, which have been marked by commitment to excellence and ethics, exemplary service and leadership style.
[John Mahoney] “embodies all that Harry Carroll stood for. A commitment to the highest standards of excellence. A dedication to fair and impartial work on behalf of students. A commitment to the ethical standards of the admission profession. Leadership, guidance, and wise counsel to colleagues in New England and throughout the United States.”
In his work with NEACAC, Mahoney “set the tone so brilliantly for the new members of the profession--focusing on ethics, best practices and acting in the best interest of the students that we serve,” Gosselin added.
“I would be remiss if I did not highlight [his] commitment to family. He has created an environment for his staff that feels like a true family. Those that work for him, or have worked for him, cite the camaraderie and bond that exists among colleagues in the office.”
He also noted that Mahoney shares the late Harry Carroll’s “wonderful sense of humor. While at first glance, his professionalism and care for his work demonstrates a seriousness in all that he does, those that have known him know that he loves to have fun, and his dry wit is something that has gotten us all through the most challenging of times.”
Mahoney’s wife and two daughters were in attendance for the tribute, in addition to most members of the Office of Undergraduate Admission staff.