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When George Mason alum Samantha Carrico enters a room, eyes usually lock onto her charismatic coworker Rylynn, a five-year-old Labrador golden retriever mix. But while Fairfax County’s facility dog gets all the attention, Carrico is the key to making it all happen.

While working on their master’s degrees in social work at ����AV, College of Public Health alumni Kendall Barrett, Madeline Holden, and Harveen Pantleay took part in field research on ageism in health care and are now using those skills in their careers.

Taylor's mission is to “pass the baton” to the next generation of social workers – with a focus on recruiting more Black men to the field. Part of that recruiting process is busting some of the myths commonly associated with social work careers.

Gary T. Taylor, MSW ‘15, is destigmatizing mental health support and normalizing therapy in the Black community one barbershop at a time. “Barbershops are this safe space for Black men,” explains Taylor who has been working with local barbershops in the Rappahannock region since 2022 to foster healthy discussions about mental health by educating barbers on “mental health first aid” for their patrons.

Kayla Moore sees testing for sexually transmitted diseases as a key part of public health, and the doorway to a healthy community. Moore is currently getting her Master of Clinical Social Work at ����AV’s College of Public Health, and in recognition of the 25th anniversary of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, has organized a two-part event at Mason’s Fairfax Campus that speaks to public health.

28 Master of Social Work students work with a substance-engaged adolescent in a Virtual Reality simulation. The majority of students felt more prepared to respond to changes in their client’s condition after participating in the simulation 

College of Public Health students learn about the emerging field of equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) in associate clinical professor Vicki Kirsch’s advanced Trauma and Recovery course.

Mason graduate student Rebecca Leung is part of a team finding ways to use smart technology in order to help those who are struggling with or recovering from substance use disorder (SUD).