In 2024, the University Honors Program established the Earl Rachowicz Honors Service Award to recognize exceptional dedication and impact. The award honors Earl Rachowicz, a member of the inaugural Honors class in 1969, whose longstanding support, along with his wife Cindi, has helped shape the program for decades.
This year, we are proud to recognize Carolyn “Carrie” Massey as the award’s recipient.
Carrie’s service to Honors is rooted in love, legacy, and a deep belief in the transformative power of education. A lifelong educator, she devoted her career to teaching, including more than twenty years in DeKalb schools before retiring in 2010. Her commitment to students has defined her life’s work and continues to guide her engagement with Honors today.
Following the passing of her husband, James “Jim” Massey, Carrie played a pivotal role in establishing the Massey Scholarship within the University Honors Program. Designed to support incoming first-year students for up to four years, the scholarship reflects Jim’s enduring commitment to student success and belonging.
A sociology professor, Jim served as Assistant Director of Honors from 1991 to 1994 and as Director from 1994 until his passing in 1999. For Carrie, creating the scholarship was a meaningful way to extend his legacy. It ensures that his vision continues to shape students’ lives, helping them find, in Carrie’s words, “community and a place to belong, a place where they mattered.”
Over the past two decades, the Massey Scholarship has supported fourteen Honors students, including Olivia Zapf, who recently completed her undergraduate degree while also finishing her first year in NIU’s accelerated law program. Her achievements, from earning a Congressional Scholarship to pursuing advanced legal study, were made more possible through the early support of the Massey Scholarship.
Carrie’s impact extends well beyond the establishment of the fund. She remains actively engaged with the Honors Program, regularly reviewing scholarship applications and continuing her generous support year after year.
Through her sustained commitment, Carrie Massey exemplifies the spirit of the Earl Rachowicz Honors Service Award and helps ensure that the Honors community continues to thrive for generations to come.
