Mahoney became the first Black woman to graduate from a nursing program and the first to earn a professional nursing license. She was one of 42 students admitted into the New England Hospital for Women and Children Training School for Nurses in Boston, Massachusetts. Mahoney is believed to be one of only three people in her class to complete the challenging 16-month program in 1878. After graduation, Mahoney remained in Boston and became a private-duty nurse. She was known for her strict professionalism and kind demeanor.
