Winter Commencement

Computer science graduate turns internship experience into a full-time position

Colleen Rich — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 18:47:21 +0000

Computer science graduate turns internship experience into a full-time position Colleen Rich Wed, 12/11/2024 - 13:47

When Dhyeya “Dee” Padhya transferred to ��AV from Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) in fall 2022, he was struck by the vibrant campus life, which was far different than his first two years in college during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dhyeya “Dee” Padhya

“Coming to George Mason there were so many things happening like fairs and club events. That was definitely a very welcomed change for me,” Padhya said. “I felt like a new person and George Mason was a huge part of these last few formative years of my life.”

He is set to graduate in December 2024 with a BS in computer science and a minor in computational and data science.

During his time at George Mason, Padhya worked in the University Career Services office as the senior front desk student assistant, where he greeted students and gave them career assistance, as well as managing the career advisors’ appointments and calendars.

He also helped administer career assessments and did set-up work and guided students at George Mason’s well-attended career fairs.

For his commitment to career services at George Mason, Padhya was featured on the cover of this year’s Career Readiness Guide.

This summer, Padhya also got professional experience in his field as a data analyst intern at Capital One.

“With a computer science major, an internship is very important. I definitely felt prepared for it with the help of my [CS 450 Database Concepts] course with Professor Ping Deng and my [CS 484 Data Mining] course with Jessica Lin. Those courses were definitely the most helpful for my internship,” said Padhya.

What’s your best memory of George Mason?

Getting the call that I got the internship at Capital One was definitely one of the best experiences of my life. Part of my responsibilities were what we call “productionizing” a data set. There was a whole process of getting data from the right sources, cleaning it, and then automating that process to automatically update the data on a weekly basis.

How have you grown while at George Mason?

Throughout high school I was a straight-A student, but my very first class here was a challenge for me and I ended up getting a B minus. It took some getting used to, but just coming to terms with the fact that it’s not the end of the world if I’m not perfect was really impactful.

Best piece of advice for incoming students?

Don’t have the mindset that you’re underqualified for something. The job market is very difficult right now, but I think it’s important to understand that your GPA, while important, isn’t ALL that matters in the professional world. During job interviews for me it was more about what my personal and professional experiences were. Employers want to know who you are as a person and what experiences have you had that led you to become that person. I also think it’s important to engage with all the resources George Mason has to offer, like the Career Services office.

What’s next for you?

I will be returning to Capital One for a full-time data analyst position after graduation.

Discover what University Career Services can do for you

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Commencement student speaker Caroline Little found her family while at George Mason

Shayla Brown — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 21:25:40 +0000

Commencement student speaker Caroline Little found her family while at George Mason Shayla Brown Tue, 12/10/2024 - 16:25

Graduating psychology student Caroline Little said she grew up at ��AV.

“I have grown from a child to an adult at George Mason in ways I could have never thought possible. I came here a teenager, and left here a married mother of two,” said Little.

Little, who will travel from Alabama to address her fellow graduates as the 2024 Winter Commencement Student Speaker, will welcome her second child, Isabella, this winter.

Graduation student speaker Caroline Little and her son, Saint. Photo provided.

George Mason’s rigorous education and location being so close Washington, D.C., made her decision to attend pretty easy, said Little. “George Mason really helped foster rapid maturation in the best way possible,” she said.

Originally an in-state student, Little transferred from Germanna Community College in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Since then, she has lived in Rhode Island, New Orleans, and currently resides in Alabama. 

“I chose psychology as my major because I have always had a special interest in the study of how the human brain works and how humans behave. I definitely plan to take my psychology education further,” said Little, who was part of George Mason’s psych club during her first two years.

Little’s passion for psychology was fueled by College of Humanities and Social Sciences professor Michael Hurley, the undergraduate academic advisor in the Department of Psychology who helped her get a job in applied behavioral analysis.

“I worked with older autistic individuals, mostly individuals who are about to graduate from high school,” said Little. “I taught them how to be self-sufficient in their homes and they learned to do their own laundry, cook basic meals, clean up after themselves, and things like that.”

Little also met her husband, former George Mason basketball player and star forward Joshua Oduro, BS Business ’23, during an on-campus voting event.

Little has had many great experiences during her time as a student at George Mason, but some of her favorite memories, she said, come from the Homecoming basketball games and getting married to Oduro.

Little and her husband, Joshua Oduro, celebrate on Wilkins Plaza. Photo provided.

“We came back to campus and popped a bottle of champagne in front of the George Mason statue to celebrate meeting each other on campus,” said Little.

Throughout that summer, while Oduro was away at pre-draft, Little was a full-time mother and simultaneously took seven accelerated courses. It was a big challenge, said Little, because both she and her son, Saint, were struggling with sleep deprivation.

“My son and I would go to campus every day to meet with my tutor at The Globe [dining hall],” said Little. “We would be on campus all day, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. I breastfed him, walked him around the halls, and brought him a big blanket for tummy time, just trying to keep him occupied while I studied.”

Little’s biggest piece of advice for incoming students is pursue yourself first. “So much happens in your four years of college, don’t ever forget why you’re here in the first place,” she said. “Never give up on your dreams, no matter how hard it may seem! No one will do it for you. You are in charge of your own destiny.”

Following graduation, Little plans to pursue her master’s degree in marriage and family counseling.

Discover George Mason's Psychology Department

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Graduating systems engineering student is flying high

Shayla Brown — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 15:52:13 +0000

Graduating systems engineering student is flying high Shayla Brown Wed, 12/04/2024 - 10:52

Darius Jack came to ��AV with a passion for systems engineering and for flying. He’s been able to maintain his flight hours while earning a bachelor of science in systems engineering this May and an accelerated master's in systems engineering, his second degree from George Mason, in December.

Darius Jack. Photo by Virginia Department of Aviation.

Jack, who grew up in Virginia, got his private pilot’s license at just 17 years old, his instrument rating at 19, his commercial pilot’s license at 20, and continues to fly himself and his family members across the state.

One of his favorite airports to fly from is Falwell Airport in Lynchburg, Virginia.

“This airport is really exciting because it's on a slope, so you have to take off going downhill and then land going uphill. If you go in person, or even look at it on Google Maps, you'll immediately see what I'm talking about,” he said.

He’s also a fan of flying on Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay.

“They have basically no cars there; it's golf carts,” said Jack. “Their economy is based on fishing and things like that, so it’s a small-town kind of vibe. I was lucky enough to be able to fly there with my mom. We spent the day there visiting some nice little mom and pop restaurants which was really exciting.”

Jack recently completed the Virginia Aviation Ambassador Program, traveling to all of Virginia’s 65 public use airports.

“The program was challenging but rewarding. I was able to meet new people, build experience flying different kinds of aircraft, and got to travel to the different corners of the state allowing me to explore and appreciate the hidden gems,” said Jack.

“Systems engineering gave me a holistic mindset, which is crucial in the cockpit. Instead of jumping to conclusions, systems engineering taught me to think [deeply] and ask underlying questions, like what factors are driving a certain output. I am very appreciative to have been in both systems engineering programs for undergraduate and graduate,” said Jack.

Darius Jack. Photo provided.

What’s your best memory of George Mason?

My master's degree experience is kind of flying by. In undergrad, I started with a lot of different people from different majors, and it’s been nice getting to see how everyone else has finished their degrees as well. I was able to go to their final capstones and senior design project presentations. Seeing how successful everyone turned out is really amazing.

How have you grown while at George Mason?

Starting off, I didn't know exactly where I was going. I had the mindset that I go to class, get my degree, and work a job in that field for the rest of my life. But systems engineering is a very big field and I didn’t know what opportunities were out there. I think just evolving in that mindset.

I know now that getting a degree in one thing doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be doing that work for the rest of your life. Being at George Mason opened my eyes to that. Now, it's more about actually learning the content from my classes and thinking about ways that knowledge could positively impact the world on a granular scale.

Best piece of advice for incoming students? 

I am a strong believer that the job market is all about supply and demand. So, if there's a lot of [graduates from] one type of major, it's going to be somewhat challenging to get a job. Give new and challenging things like systems engineering a chance because companies want systems engineers. If you have that demand, it is very easy to get something going for you.

What’s next for you?

I have accepted a job offer at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, and I'll be starting there after graduating in December. In this lab, they research things like prosthetic limbs, nanotechnology and all kinds of cutting-edge technology. What's in demand with my major specifically is model-based systems engineering, which is a sort of subset of systems engineering. I’m so excited to start there and be a part of that community because it will be my first real full-time job.

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Winter Commencement

Former CGI president and CEO to address graduates at Winter Commencement

Colleen Rich — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 14:03:19 +0000

Former CGI president and CEO to address graduates at Winter Commencement Colleen Rich Mon, 10/28/2024 - 10:03

George D. Schindler, former president and chief executive officer of business and information technology company CGI, will be the featured speaker at ��AV’s Winter Commencement on Dec. 19 at EagleBank Arena on the Fairfax Campus.

George D. Schindler. Photo provided

Schindler, now a member of the CGI Board of Directors, led the company from 2016 to 2024. During that time, annual revenue grew to more than $14 billion. Federal Computer Week has twice named Schindler a Top 100 leader.

During Schindler’s time as CEO, George Mason and CGI further developed their robust partnership. More than 250 CGI employees are George Mason alums, including Board of Visitors member Horace Blackman, BA American Studies and English ‘93, the university’s former rector.

CGI reported to University Career Services that they had a 100% retention rate for George Mason interns for Fall 2023. All were to either complete an additional internship or convert to full-time employment after graduation.

George Mason has recognized CGI for its Demonstrated Employer Equity/Inclusion in Practice, and the company is heavily engaged with the Costello College of Business through the Dean's Advisory Council and the Baroni Center for Government Contracting.

Last academic year, CGI led two two-day resume clinics, a workshop for faculty and staff on the impact of ChatGPT on the hiring process, and conducted mentoring and interviews with students.

Get all the details on Winter Commencement

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Photo story: Mason celebrates its 2023 winter graduates

Damian Cristodero — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 20:41:25 +0000

Photo story: Mason celebrates its 2023 winter graduates Damian Cristodero Thu, 12/14/2023 - 15:41

Winter Commencement at ��AV on Dec. 14 at EagleBank Arena celebrated 5,000 graduates and certificate recipients. Graduates hailed from 78 countries, 41 states, and 24% of bachelor's degree recipients identified as first-generation graduates.

Photos by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

As the graduates entered the arena, they and their family and friends got a full dose of musical entertainment by the Green Machine, known widely as the top pep band in the country.

Mason President Gregory Washington welcomed everyone to the event. And commencement speaker Paul Misener, JD '93, principal of Misener Innovation and a former global vice president at Amazon, told the graduates that graduation provides new opportunities for other areas of education and exploration.

Student Commencement speaker Shruti Sekar, BS computer science, spoke eloquently about the strength of the Mason community. "We learned that the power of education and community cannot be taken away from us," Sekar said. "We learned that Patriots sponsor change within our state. ... We are the authors of our own story."

Graduates were their usual creative selves when it came to decorating their caps.

And then it was really time to celebrate. Read more about the ceremony.

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President Gregory Washington's remarks to Mason's 2023 Winter Graduates

Jeannine Harvey — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 20:40:19 +0000

President Gregory Washington's remarks to Mason's 2023 Winter Graduates Jeannine Harvey Thu, 12/14/2023 - 15:40

Remarks as prepared for delivery

Good morning! Please be seated. 

Before we begin, I would like to thank our vocalist, Anissa Clay Zelaya, for singing our National Anthem. That was out of this world, Anissa!

Anissa is a senior in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, majoring in Vocal Performance in the Dewberry School of Music. She will graduate next spring.

Anissa will join us again later for the singing of our Alma Mater.

I would also like to thank Dr. Michael Nickens and our very own Green Machine for the musical entertainment they provided this morning. Thank you, Doc Nix!

At the place ��AV occupies, we give greetings and thanksgivings to the recognized Virginia tribes who have lovingly stewarded these lands for millennia including the Rappahannock, Pamunkey, Upper Mattaponi, Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Nansemond, Monacan, Mattaponi, Patawomeck, and Nottaway, past, present, and future; and to the Piscataway tribes, who have lived on both sides of the river from time immemorial.

Your education is a credit to the land that has received you. The good you will do in this world is the harvest of the soil upon which you have stood, sat, and lived. How plentiful that harvest will turn out to be in your lifetime is now entirely up to you. It’s good cause for this celebration today.

I am very pleased to welcome and congratulate the Winter Graduating Class of 2023. You made it!

Joining our graduates, faculty, and staff today are loved ones who have come from throughout the commonwealth, across the nation, and even some who have flown in from other nations just to be a part of this celebration. To each of you, I extend a warm welcome to ��AV! And for our online viewers and listeners, we thank you for joining us as well.

Today, we honor 4,700 recipients of bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and law degrees, as well as more than 300 certificate recipients. 

Our graduates hail from 78 countries, 41 states, and a multitude of backgrounds. About 1 in 4 of the Patriots we’re honoring today is in the first generation of their family to earn a four-year degree.

Would our first-gen graduates please stand so we can celebrate the family history you’re making today?.... Outstanding!

All of our graduates are earning a degree from a university whose impact and stature rises by the day.

Your final year here was the year ��AV was finally recognized by consensus as one of America’s 50 finest public universities. We are Virginia’s best for social mobility and innovation. We have known this for some time. But now the nation and the world have caught up. Truly, it is Mason’s time. Like it has been for so many, may your Mason degree be a springboard to success.

All of you have weathered quite a journey to arrive at this day. Many of you came to Mason amid the pandemic, a challenge we worked together to overcome not only as members of this university community but as citizens of the world.

We continue to be tested by global events in a time of profound challenge and change. War and atrocities around the world affect you personally. And the climate crisis has begun to accelerate at an alarming pace. In short, your world is changing right before your eyes.

To make sense of it all, you have an unprecedented volume of information at your fingertips to inform you. But you also are confronted with more misinformation and disinformation than ever, making your challenge to inform your own voice more difficult.

To be sure, no one can – or should – try to suppress your voice. You continue to be more civically engaged, more vocal, and more active in shaping the world landscape, not just reacting to it. And the world needs you to do that.

Along with the freedom our society gives you to raise your voice comes great responsibility—to learn the facts about the issues of our day, from credible sources, and to express them in ways that help us live up to the credo of ��AV—to create a more just, peaceful, and prosperous world.

Why do I say it’s your responsibility? Because America is becoming more crowded, more volatile, and more in need of informed and involved voices to lead it than ever before. True leadership demands the brightest minds, not just the loudest voices, to carry the day. And that burden of leadership demands that you be informed, not just impassioned.

As graduates of the largest and most diverse public university in the Commonwealth of Virginia—and one of the most diverse universities nationally—you are a time machine to the future, because you already look like the America that is to come. As such, you are best equipped to listen, learn and engage on these polarizing issues. To seek understanding and common ground and work to ensure that disagreement does not collapse into incivility.

A foundation of peace is not built on agreement. It is built on bedrock of mutual respect. That is true for children squabbling on the playground, spouses arguing in the kitchen, or factions warring on fault lines around the world. Gandhi said, “The greatness of humanity is not in being human, but in being humane.”

That is your charge. I hope that your Mason education has prepared you to separate fact from fiction. To discern without demonizing. To listen as passionately as you speak – even when your heart races and your ears burn.

Who better to bear the weight of lifting us out of our downward spiral than you—future leaders who these past few years have lived, learned, and engaged in one of the most diverse environments you will find.

Mason’s diversity of origin, identity, circumstance, and thought is what we affectionately—and proudly—call, “All Together Different.” It has caused some struggles and many triumphs, but it isn’t just a Mason slogan – it’s your future. It’s our future….

Now, let me briefly tell you about a few of the graduates we’re honoring today!

We have an IT major who exemplifies the opportunities open to Mason students. She’s served internships at Lockheed Martin, DataLock Consulting, AWS, SAS, and several other companies. She’s also a Mason peer mentor and research assistant.
We have a criminology, law, and society major who also is earning an accelerated master’s degree in international security. She is one of the inaugural recipients of the Peraton scholarship in National Security and is a student trainee at the Department of Homeland Security as well as a member of the Intelligence Community Network at Mason.
We have a biology major who is a first-generation graduate who has worked as an environmental field interpreter, translating environmental science content into engaging, hands-on outdoor field programs for 4,500 seventh-graders.
And we have a bioengineering major who as a teenager came to the United States from her native Honduras for cancer treatment. She beat cancer and committed herself to helping others. She works part-time in the Inova Health System as a rehab technician and in Mason's Applied Biosensing Lab developing wearable ultrasound technology for quantitative assessment of musculoskeletal injuries in military service members. Next up for her: med school or the military.

As you can tell, this is an impressive group we’re honoring here today! Before we move on with our program, I’d like to take a moment to thank the Mason faculty and staff members who do such a tremendous job of educating, inspiring, and serving our students. Mason faculty and staff members, please stand so we can thank you for the role you have played in the lives of our graduates.

I’d also like to acknowledge our Alumni Association for its work to maintain a lifelong bond with our more than 230,000 graduates…. The winter Class of 2023 is now part of an enormous network for careers and recruitment opportunities.

Finally, I’d like to recognize our governing body, the Board of Visitors, for the tremendous job they do guiding this growing and innovative university. Would the Board of Visitors members who are here please stand and be recognized? 

It’s so great to have you here with us today to honor our graduates….

It is now my pleasure to introduce the Rector of the ��AV Board of Visitors, Horace Blackman, to introduce our Commencement speaker.   

Watch President Washington's speech

In This Story

Gregory Washington

Graduation News

Computer science graduate turns internship experience into a full-time position
December 11, 2024
Commencement student speaker Caroline Little found her family while at George Mason
December 10, 2024
“When one door closes, open another”: This Costello student is making his way in music industry
December 10, 2024
Graduating systems engineering student is flying high
December 4, 2024
Graduating senior’s compass pointed her to an English degree with a side trip to Ireland
December 2, 2024

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Winter Commencement

Graduation

Q&A with Winter 2023 Commencement speaker Paul Misener

Colleen Rich — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 19:06:51 +0000

Q&A with Winter 2023 Commencement speaker Paul Misener Colleen Rich Wed, 12/13/2023 - 14:06

Mason alum Paul Misener, JD ’93, founder and principal of Misener Innovation and a former global vice president at Amazon, is this year's Winter Commencement speaker.

Your career spans many fields—science, law, engineering, public policy, etc. What are the advantages of having abilities and credentials in all of these disciplines, and what lesson might there be in that for Mason students and graduates?

Paul Misener speaking at the groundbreaking of the Fuse at Mason Square. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Our lives, careers, and nature itself are not organized in tidy unconnected silos, so our learning should not be either. When I attended college 40 years ago, the academic disciplines—usually organized as “departments”—were separate entities, with little or no interaction, even within broader groupings, like the sciences or languages. This traditional separation of disciplines created an enormous missed opportunity for people to share knowledge and techniques. The most fertile areas for discovery today are between two or more of the traditional silos.

I am very proud of Mason’s determination—notably with the new Fuse at Mason Square destination in Arlington—to bridge preexisting academic silos and share learnings across previously separated departments. I was a beneficiary of Mason’s early willingness to bridge silos: In one of the first curriculum experiments of its kind, in the late 1980s, Mason initiated a law and economics program that taught law students like me how these disciplines interact. Now, under President Washington’s leadership, bridging silos is the norm at Mason.

But learning in multiple fields should not end with college graduation. To the contrary, graduation provides new opportunities to explore other areas of education, including in graduate school, of course, but also in nondegree coursework and self-study. And there are no required courses, only decades of electives! As you suggest, a breadth of knowledge also has distinct advantages, such as being able to translate ideas between engineers and policymakers, thus helping to bridge silos.

You were an Amazon vice president for 23 years. How great of a factor was access to talent in Amazon’s decision to move into Northern Virginia, just miles from Mason campuses?

I am a native Northern Virginian and was Amazon’s first employee in Washington, D.C. Of course, I was thrilled with the Amazon HQ2 site selection result and, yes, abundant local talent was a crucial factor in the decision. We Patriots should be proud of our leading role in providing outstanding talent to companies and public sector institutions in the region. As Mason continues to grow in excellence, diversity, and scale, our talent pool will become even more influential.

You undoubtedly have received advice—personally and professionally—that has influenced your life and career. Is there any advice that you want to pass along to the upcoming Mason graduates?

Yes, I definitely have some advice:

Graduates, given the pace of change all around us, you have increasing flexibility in your career to do what you want to do, not just what is advertised as available. When I graduated from college, my continuing education and career were confined to the norms of the prior three or four decades. For graduate school, I needed to choose a single field, and I could not imagine creating a new one. And one’s career at the time usually was built on responding to “want ads” in physical newspapers, in which an employer would announce that it had an opening for a particular position, to do particular things, and sought a person to fill that role. Today, with a bit of patience, your second or third jobs and beyond can be ones that you create together with an employer, not merely accepting what is advertised.

So, I recommend that you graduates spend some time now, early in your post-college life, imagining what you would like to be doing in, say, 10 to 15 years. I emphasize that identifying what you would like to be doing is crucial and is something that you should be able to imagine (and write down) within the next few months. Really, you can do it. And do write it down, maybe as a letter to a friend of yours, to be sent 10 to 15 years from now, telling her what you are doing in your career at that point in the future. Notice that you need not worry now about how you will get to that point; you likely have no clue yet. But that’s OK; you have years to figure out how to get there. And the best way to do that is to plan backwards from the letter you will send to your friend 10 to 15 years from now. What is the previous step before sending that letter? The step before that? And the step before that? All the way back to today.

You received Mason’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2001 and currently serve Mason in many advisory capacities, including on the President’s Innovation Advisory Council and the board of the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation. How important is it for Mason alumni to stay engaged in the university and how is that mutually beneficial?

Staying engaged at Mason provides alumni an opportunity to multiply the benefits of their own university experience—for themselves and others, especially the students who follow them through Mason. And given all the important progress being accomplished at today’s Mason, remaining involved need not be a frivolous act of team spirit—“be true to your school,” as the Beach Boys sang long ago. Rather, today’s Mason is worthy of our strong engagement and support, even if we were not alumni, but much more so because we are.

Learn more about the 2023 Winter Commencement Ceremonies

Graduation News and Stories

Computer science graduate turns internship experience into a full-time position
December 11, 2024
Commencement student speaker Caroline Little found her family while at George Mason
December 10, 2024
Graduating systems engineering student is flying high
December 4, 2024
Former CGI president and CEO to address graduates at Winter Commencement
October 28, 2024
Photo story: Mason celebrates its 2023 winter graduates
December 14, 2023

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This winter graduate is leaving a legacy of community

Sarah Holland — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 14:47:42 +0000

This winter graduate is leaving a legacy of community Sarah Holland Wed, 12/13/2023 - 09:47

Photo provided.

From the moment Jason Mercado, a biology major in the College of Science and a member of the Honors College, came to ��AV as part of the Student Transition Empowerment Program (STEP), he embraced all the possibilities of campus involvement. From being an orientation leader to working as an environmental field interpreter for school programs, Mercado made the most of his time at Mason. He’s graduating this week with his eyes toward a healthier future for all.

What made you choose Mason and your major?

First, the diversity. Not just of the student population, but also the diversity of the faculty and staff, the diversity of experiences, and the diversity in all the ways to learn. It was also affordable for me and my family, and it was close to home.

I picked biology because I’m passionate about research and learning about our ecosystems and the health of our communities. Initially, my goal was to go to medical school, but after learning more about epidemiology, I decided I was more interested in the community-based approach to public health. Every community faces the threat of disease, but they’re affected in different proportions. Like how Latino communities were affected more by COVID-19 than other communities. I think studying those discrepancies and figuring out why that happens will lead to us being able to get those communities the resources they need. So I added the public health minor.

What’s one accomplishment you’re proud of from your time at Mason?

I had the honor of being the president of what is now called the Latino Student Association. I feel very proud of being able to spearhead the largest Latino organization on campus and help the community academically, professionally, and socially. Under my leadership, we created the Unidos Scholarship to give back to our community. We started hosting professional events for members to network with alumni. I think of those things as my legacy.

What was your favorite event hosted by the Latino Student Association?

Every year we put on Bienvenida Latina to celebrate the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. We collaborate with Mason Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment, Mason First-Gen+, and all the other Latino and Hispanic organizations. We have music and food from different countries. People sing, play instruments, perform poetry, dance. It’s a day to celebrate our identity as Latino and share our cultures with the whole campus.

What is one thing you’ll take from your Mason education and bring to your future career?

My biology degree has definitely strengthened my research capabilities and improved my general knowledge, which will help me pursue a graduate degree.

I think also the different perspectives that you can get here at Mason have taught me to be more empathetic and approach more situations with an open mind. Mason's not a monolith; there’s a great diversity of perspectives and experiences. I’ve listened to and learned from students and faculty from such diverse backgrounds. Being able to empathize with people and being able to understand where they come from, why they think a certain way, is something I’ll definitely be able to take into wherever I work.

What are your plans for after graduation?

My plan is to go to graduate school for epidemiology. After that, hopefully I’ll work in a local or state health department. Maybe the Centers for Disease Control. I want to work with and help vulnerable communities.

If you could give a first-year student advice on how to navigate college, what would you say?

Get involved. I’ve met and worked with a lot of great people that have helped me land certain jobs at Mason, all because I got to know my faculty and classmates and got involved. So find an organization that interests you, or that relates to your major, and commit to it. Get to know people and run for leadership positions; it’s all valuable experience and connections that can help you later.

Learn more about the 2023 Winter Commencement Ceremonies

Hear from Mason's incredible graduates

Computer science graduate turns internship experience into a full-time position
December 11, 2024
Commencement student speaker Caroline Little found her family while at George Mason
December 10, 2024
“When one door closes, open another”: This Costello student is making his way in music industry
December 10, 2024
Graduating systems engineering student is flying high
December 4, 2024
Graduating senior’s compass pointed her to an English degree with a side trip to Ireland
December 2, 2024

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Mason ready to honor winter graduates Thursday

Colleen Rich — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 19:13:28 +0000

Mason ready to honor winter graduates Thursday Colleen Rich Mon, 12/11/2023 - 14:13

��AV will celebrate more than 5,000 students graduating or earning certificates in the Winter Commencement ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at EagleBank Arena.

Paul Misener. Photo provided

The event will be livestreamed on Mason’s YouTube channel. Doors open an hour before the ceremony.

The graduates hail from 78 countries and 41 states, and 24% of bachelor’s degree recipients identify as first-generation graduates.

Students also will be honored at two degree celebrations Thursday. Guest tickets are required for Commencement and the degree celebrations.

Paul Misener, JD ’93, founder and principal of Misener Innovation and a former global vice president at Amazon, is the featured Commencement speaker.

Shruti Sekar, an Honors College student graduating with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, is the student speaker.

Shruti Sekar. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

The top five majors among the 2,962 undergraduates in the winter Class of 2023 are business; psychology; criminology, law and society; computer science; and information technology.

Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors account for 29% of the students earning bachelor’s degrees and 31% of students earning advanced degrees, indicating that Mason is addressing the need to produce tech talent for Northern Virginia and around the state. Health science majors make up 8% of undergraduate degree earners this winter.

For the 1,576 students earning master’s degrees, the top five majors are special education, data analytics engineering, curriculum and instruction, computer science, and business administration.

The top majors for the 154 students earning doctoral degrees are education, economics, computer science, and psychology.

The winter graduating class also includes seven law school graduates.

Get all the details on the Winter Graduation ceremonies

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A Mason dream leads to two degrees and a future in law

Sarah Holland — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 15:30:18 +0000

A Mason dream leads to two degrees and a future in law Sarah Holland Fri, 12/08/2023 - 10:30

Photo provided.

Inspired by her parents who immigrated from Mexico in search of a better life for their children, Ashley Alvarado-Lopez is following the path her older sister, Leasley Gonzalez, set by completing a bachelor’s and master’s degree at ��AV in 2019. Enrolled in Mason’s Bachelor’s to Accelerated Master’s Program (BAM), Alvarado-Lopez completed her BS in Criminology, Law and Society in 2022 and is graduating this December with her MS in Criminal Justice.

What made you choose Mason?

There were a few reasons. It was financially the best decision. I wanted to stay close to home. But also, one of my sisters was in the teaching program at Mason. When I was at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), I remember coming to campus and studying with her. I liked the whole atmosphere, and I thought, “I could totally see myself going to this school.” And I really admired her, so I wanted to follow in her footsteps.

I think that those of us who grew up near Mason forget that this is a dream school for a lot of people. I actually saw a famous TikToker talking about how excited she was that she got into Mason. So I was really excited because a lot of kids dream of coming here.

What’s one accomplishment you’re proud of from your time at Mason?

Most people don’t know this, but I have an auditory processing disorder. It's something that I’ve struggled with my whole life. I didn’t get diagnosed until my senior year of high school, so I spent a lot of my childhood in school feeling really alone and embarrassed. Teachers even told my mom that she shouldn’t invest in college for me because I was doing so poorly. I got really discouraged. But then one day I decided that I wasn’t going to let someone tell me that I wouldn’t be able to get into college.

So I succeeded at both NOVA and Mason without any accommodations, was on the dean’s list all through undergrad, and got into the BAM Program. I even worked full-time to financially support myself.

How did you balance working full time and going to school?

It was definitely challenging. I relied on coffee. But my professors were also incredibly accommodating and understanding of the situation. People like Marc Meyer, one of my professors in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society, would always say “wow, I don’t know how you do it.” And that acknowledgment was meaningful.

What are your plans post-graduation?

My dream is to help people in the immigration system, so I’m hoping to go to law school. I work full-time as a paralegal for an immigration law firm, so I’ll take a year off from school to study for the LSAT while I keep working. I really want to come back to Mason and go to the Antonin Scalia Law School.

If you could give a first-year student advice on how to navigate college, what would you say?

Choose a path that you’re passionate about. When I first started and was trying to decide on a major, I was leaning toward choosing something I wasn't passionate about because I felt it was what I should do, instead of what I wanted to do. But I ended up choosing what I’m passionate about—criminology—and I am far happier and interested in my studies because of it.

Learn more about the 2023 Winter Commencement Ceremonies

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Computer science graduate turns internship experience into a full-time position
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December 10, 2024
Graduating systems engineering student is flying high
December 4, 2024
Graduating senior’s compass pointed her to an English degree with a side trip to Ireland
December 2, 2024

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