2003 President's Award Recipient
Citation for Michael V. Oneal
'74
Awarded at Alumni/ae Council Weekend
on September 19, 2003
Michael Vincent Oneal—We
honor you today for your inspired,
and inspiring, volunteerism on
behalf of Phillips Exeter Academy.
Your unwavering faith in the
ability of your alma mater to
transform lives, your generosity
of time and resources, and your
willingness to always—always—follow
through, make you the archetype
of volunteers, and if cloning
were legal, we'd be at your doorstep.
For the past 10
years you have served Exeter
in an array of capacities: as
a loyal Friend of the Academy
Library, as General Gift Chair
for your 25th reunion, as a class
agent and General Alumni/ae Association
director, and most recently as
Alumni/ae Fund Chair. To each
role and task you have brought
charisma, joy and a work ethic
that can only be described as "Exonian."
Michael, it is not your leadership
alone that sets you apart; you
have distinguished yourself in
the Exeter trenches as a devoted
phonathon volunteer and admissions
representative, committing extraordinary
amounts of time to both activities
while also meeting the demands
of your job and being present
for your family. During the past
few years in particular, your
efforts have been nothing short
of Herculean. You have attended
all ten New York phonathons in
the last two years, where your
expertise and willingness to
help other volunteers have been
a boon to the Academy staff.
During last year's admissions
interviewing season, despite
the fact that you had to be in
Washington D.C. during the week,
you volunteered to interview
applicants on weekends while
you were home in New York City,
one of Exeter's busiest
interview locations. Your interview
style has been described as "gracious
and gentle," and you have
been known to drive to some candidates' homes
in order to spare their families
the hardship of travel. You have
followed up with interviewees
by taking them to dinner and
answering questions about the
Academy, and have developed lasting
friendships with some of them.
You have often said, "I
could never repay the Academy
for what it has done for me." Michael
Oneal, Exeter owes you for being
a part of the success we enjoy
as an institution and for embodying
and modeling so well the qualities
we seek in our volunteers. For
gracing the Exeter family with
your selflessness and devotion,
and in recognition of your outstanding
service to the Academy, we honor
you with this 2003 President's
Award.
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