Students (14101)

EIP Graduate Juan Escalera Gives Back to Mason Through Honors College Communications Team

Wasiq Muhammad Muhammad Ali — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 20:47:20 +0000

EIP Graduate Juan Escalera Gives Back to Mason Through Honors College Communications Team Wasiq Muhammad… Wed, 06/01/2022 - 16:47

“I am always interested in learning something new, or even better, be[ing] told of something I did know but from a different perspective.”

Juan Escalera, a senior Marketing and economics major, spoke these words as he thought back on his time in George Mason’s Honors College. With graduation on the horizon, the effect that the Honors College and all he has learned during his time in it has become more prominent.

Escalera began his time in the Honors College in the EIP—the Early Identification Program. This program identifies promising first-generation college students while in middle and high school, and guides them through their college application process and their first steps into Mason.

Having benefitted from this program, Escalera decided to pay the experience forward. In fact, he returned to be employed by the same office that had guided him, working as the photographer for many of their events.

“Being able to give back and support the program directly has been a great opportunity and has allowed me work alongside familiar faces.”

Moving forward with his time at Mason, Escalera soon enrolled in Multidisciplinary Practicum (HNRS 360), taught by instructor Mr. Richard Todd Stafford. During this class, he created an official marketing plan to help his employer. Using this plan, he analyzed analytics for the EIP’s social media posts, and conducted interviews with the intent of growing their social media presence.

From this experience, Escalera’s talent for social media marketing and photography was nurtured by his instructor, and following this project, Escalera was hired to the Honors College Communications Team by Stafford. Here, he now serves as the head social media intern for the team, teaching his peers and learning new aspects of communications work every day. He demonstrates to the team how to appropriately run various social media accounts and camera techniques—skills that are much appreciated by his peers. The Honors college provided him with a bridge between his professional and academic life, shaping Escalera into a well-rounded student during his time in college.

Escalera has always remarked that he loves to learn something new. From EIP to a future Honors College graduate, his passion for learning and appreciation for discovering something new has shaped his experience.

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Service to others has long been a part of Muhammad Farhan Babar’s life

John Hollis — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 17:27:25 +0000

Service to others has long been a part of Muhammad Farhan Babar’s life John Hollis Wed, 09/08/2021 - 13:27

Muhammad Farhan Babar speaks at the EIP graduation ceremony. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

It’s less a hobby as much as it is just something that is an integral part of who Muhammad Farhan Babar is deep down.

Volunteering his time to help others has helped shape the ��AV freshman and Honors College member into the selfless young man he’s become.

And Farhan, as he’s known to those closest to him, says he’d have it no other way.

“Volunteering has always been a big thing for me,” said the 18-year-old Early Identification Program (EIP) graduate and aspiring computer science major from Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria, Virginia. “It’s just something I do and it’s really shaped my personality. It’s changed me a lot. It’s shaped how I think, who I am and how I view life.”

Those who know Babar are hardly surprised. Khaseem Davis, the director of EIP, recalled Babar as a great student who had immediately made a positive impression on him.

Photo provided

“He was always pleasant, respectful and super inquisitive,” Davis said. “I’ve learned you can tell the quality of a student by the types of questions they ask. Farhan didn’t waste words, was always direct and asked questions of substance. I am happy he chose Mason, and I only see him excelling in his studies.”

Babar, who grew up in nearby Prince William County, is one of four boys and had originally dreamed of being a doctor. He credited one of his brothers for getting him started volunteering at a local medical center during his junior year of high school. His duties there often included signing patients in at the front desk, visiting patients in their rooms to see if they needed anything, and fixing beds, among other chores.

Babar has a history giving of himself to help others. He was just a freshman in high school when he first began tutoring middle school students in math, including his younger brother.

“It’s incredibly satisfying when you see them start to get it,” he said.

Babar hopes to do more of the same as he gets his bearings and becomes more acclimated to his new surrounding on Mason’s Fairfax Campus. His volunteer experiences have prepared him well, giving him more patience and a broader world view.

“I believe that everybody should have that opportunity,” he said.

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Students (14101)

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Mason offers mental health resources for students and employees as part of the return to campus

Melanie Balog — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 22:14:16 +0000

Mason offers mental health resources for students and employees as part of the return to campus Melanie Balog Thu, 08/19/2021 - 18:14

A key component of ��AV’s return to campus this month is addressing the mental health of students and employees and providing additional resources for those who might feel anxious about coming to campus or who are struggling to deal with the ongoing pandemic.

Inside Higher Ed reported this week that Indiana University’s Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement, which included responses from more than 35,000 students nationally, found that 53% of first-year students reported “a substantial increase in mental and emotional exhaustion.”

There are similar concerns with returning students who might have mental health needs to address when they return to campus.

“Like counseling centers at many universities across the country, Mason’s Counseling and Psychological Services did not hear from all students who needed support,” said Rachel Wernicke, University Life associate dean and chief mental health officer. “Some students sought services in their local communities. But as students return to campus, Mason anticipates much greater demand for student mental health services.”

Now students must confront several challenges, she said, including transitioning to the next phase of normal and further comprehending the experiences of the past 18 months.

“Many of our faculty, staff and students have experienced trauma, loss, isolation and loneliness,” Wernicke said. “And some will need support as they process their responses to the last year, and transition back to campus.”

The return to campus will enable students to reconnect with peers. That sense of rejuvenation can facilitate healing. The same goes for faculty and staff as they rejoin their colleagues in person.

“It can be very helpful when students who are ready are open with their peers about their mental health concerns,” Wernicke said. “When students talk about their mental health authentically, they help to reduce stigma and to create accepting spaces for other students to share their experiences.”

Students can receive training to identify and support fellow students in distress through the Mason CARES (Campus Awareness, Referral, and Education for Suicide Prevention) program. Mason’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being also offers resources, including how faculty can support students’ mental health. A new Mason guide will cover student mental health strategies for faculty and staff, among them trying to make personal connections with students and offering flexibility and compassion as students re-enter the academic space.

“As a community grounded in compassion, kindness, and support, intensifying our focus and our commitment to overall mental health and well-being is a must,” said Rose Pascarell, vice president for University Life.

Additional mental health resources also are available for employees. The university will provide a licensed Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselor to meet individually, by appointment, with Mason faculty and staff for virtual support sessions. The sessions are between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on August 25 and September 8. Employees can register online. These free, half-hour sessions will give employees the opportunity to address feelings that might be challenging and to learn coping strategies.

“The university strives to support all dimensions of employee well-being, especially while most faculty and staff members transition to working on campus again,” said Lester Arnold, vice president for Human Resources and Payroll. “One dimension we’ve always focused on, but are especially aware of during this time, is employee mental health. Faculty and staff may be experiencing higher levels of change and uncertainty in the midst of returning to campus and/or the start of the academic year.”

There are many university well-being initiatives that also address the mental health of the campus community. One is the yearlong Patriots Thriving Together campaign organized by the Office of the Provost, University Life and the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. The campaign will focus on many aspects of well-being, including mental health, as will the weekly Thriving Together Series and the Resilience Badge, which is open to students, faculty and staff.

In addition, the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being offers Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, an eight-hour program for students, faculty and staff that provides information about the signs and symptoms of common mental illnesses and how to engage in conversation with those who might be struggling to encourage them to seek professional care.

The training sessions, facilitated by Katie Clare, associate director for resilience programs in University Life, and Patrice Levinson, nurse practitioner in Student Health Services, are scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 26 and Nov. 2 in person, and 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 6-7 online. Mason also offers a one-credit MHFA UNIV 370 course.

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