New Scholarship Honors Admissions Head Coveney for His 30 Years at WC

Washington College has established a new scholarship to honor Kevin Coveney for his three decades of leadership as head of admissions. Endowed by a Hodson Trust gift of $200,000, the merit-based Hodson Trust-Kevin Coveney Scholarship will be awarded for the first time to a student entering the College for the 2013-14 academic year.

Coveney first came to Washington College in 1983 as Director of Admissions. About a decade later, his role expanded to include oversight of the financial aid office, and in 1996 he was promoted to Vice President for Admissions. He will step down from the job June 30, but will remain a valued advisor and consultant to the College.

“Kevin has worked tirelessly on behalf of Washington College, bringing to campus ever-stronger and increasingly diverse and accomplished classes,” College president Mitchell B. Reiss said in announcing the scholarship. “Remarkably, more than half of the living alumni of Washington College were recruited by Kevin. What a living legacy and what a lasting imprint on the college. It is a privilege to establish this scholarship in his name, and we are grateful to our friends at the Hodson Trust for making it possible.”

Beyond his accomplishments in the admissions realm, Coveney has helped to shape institutional policy in other areas as a key member of Senior Staff for five College presidents. He has been part of three strategic plans, three capital campaigns, and three Middle States accreditation processes. His career in higher-ed admissions spans 40 years. Before coming to Washington College, he served as Director of Admissions at St. Francis College in Maine (now the University of New England), Castleton State College in Vermont, and Southampton College of Long Island University.

“I am deeply honored to have my name associated with this scholarship,” he says of the Hodson Trust-Kevin Coveney Scholarship. “And I’m grateful for all the Hodson Trust has done to support the College’s goals and initiatives during my 29 years at Washington College. It has certainly been a great privilege to be associated with the late Finn Caspersen, Gerry Holm, and other members of the Trust. I have been blessed with extraordinary support from many other friends and colleagues over the years,” he adds. “And I am proud that I’ve been able to connect so many terrific young men and women with all the great opportunities that WC has to offer.”