2010 40 Under Forty: Justin R. Smith
Senior Assistant Director of Admissions, Assumption College
Company location: Worcester
Residence: Ayer
Age: 29
Career highlights: I graduated from Assumption College in 2003 with a degree in business. My first job after graduation was with TJX Cos. in Framingham. After a year I jumped at the chance to return to my alma mater in the admissions office. In 2009, I completed a master’s in school counseling and realized that a career in higher education was my calling. Being the first in my family to go to college, I have always valued the importance of a college degree and enjoy making that dream a reality for many students.
Community involvement: As a 10-year survivor of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, I first became involved in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society while still undergoing treatment. In 2000, Assumption College began hosting the annual Light The Night Walk, where I served as student walk chair for two years. In 2005, I joined the board of trustees for the Massachusetts chapter and currently serve as vice president. In 2007, I ran the Boston Marathon for Team in Training and raised more than $15,000 for blood cancer research. Later that year, I was elected to the national board of representatives and chair the national task force on advocacy.
Biggest success: At Assumption I was part of the team tasked with developing the new test optional-policy for the admissions process. By no longer requiring SAT/ACT scores, Assumption can see the merits of an applicant that lie beyond a test score.
Mentors: For me, the terms “mentor” and “role model” go hand in hand, and my grandfather would serve both roles. As a Sicilian immigrant he grew up during the Depression and built a life for my grandmother, my mother and her two sisters. He instilled in all of us the importance of education and the value of family, hard work, faith, service, and if need be, sacrifice.
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