Mason LIFE Program

Teacher Clothing Closet helps student teaching interns look and feel their best

Sarah Holland — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 19:14:45 +0000

Teacher Clothing Closet helps student teaching interns look and feel their best Sarah Holland Mon, 02/10/2025 - 14:14

One late fall evening, two rooms in ��AV’s Merten Hall were transformed from basic conference rooms to a designer runway.

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Student and alumni volunteers from the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), Mason LIFE, and a local Girl Scout troop modeled themed fashions and assistive devices on the catwalk. Backstage, EDSE Council treasurer Shauna Stacks, a senior, and current EDSE president Emily Hulett, a junior, curled hair, contoured cheekbones, and dabbed eyeshadow onto the models.

It was a fashion show unlike anything CEHD has seen, ending with the ribbon cutting and grand opening of the Teacher Clothing Closet, a free resource for teacher interns to get professional clothing. It’s the first major service project of the EDSE Council—a new student organization named after the course code for special education courses, created to foster a supportive, inclusive community within the special education program at George Mason.

The EDSE Council’s faculty facilitator Sharon Ray, associate professor of special education, first brought the idea of a clothing closet to the council. “I spoke with several faculty members about how students struggle with resources, specifically professional clothing resources,” she said. “The council was interested in doing a fashion show, and I thought a service-oriented project like a clothing closet would be a good companion to the event.”

Clothing expectations for teachers vary. A first-grade teacher, for example, needs clothing that is professional and modest without being restrictive so they can move quickly and freely. A high school teacher might need attire that is more business casual. And the culture of each school influences their dress code, whether as unspoken rules or written guidelines.

Many students, when starting their internships, lack adequate professional attire and the costs to buy a new wardrobe are often greater than they can afford.

“Because you’re essentially in the classroom for 40 hours a week, most interns end up needing to quit the jobs they’ve had to pay for college or take reduced hours at them. So your resources are already limited,” said Lydia Kraiger, previous EDSE Council president and current senior. “Then you’re in the classroom, and your clothes are getting tugged on, things are spilled on you...buying $70 pants that just get ruined isn’t reasonable for us."

Even just among the council members, the cost of clothing is a major hurdle. Council secretary and senior Emily Ritter said that she has two outfits she rotates throughout the week. Hulett said she only has one.

“I don’t have another option,” she said.

Thrifting has been helpful to some in the past, but even that comes with barriers. Students spend hours hunting for items that are in good condition, fit well, fulfill the expectations of the school, and meet the needs of their job. And for some, there’s an emotional hurdle as well.

“It can be embarrassing for some people,” said Hulett. “They don't want to have to go to Goodwill and have people see them have to buy those clothes because they can't afford anything else.”

“One of the things we learn in our classes is culturally responsive teaching: how to teach students from different backgrounds and experiences,” said Joshua Mills, EDSE Council vice president and current junior. “And that includes meeting student needs through knowing what resources can help and advocating when we see a gap.”

The council agrees that this foundational philosophy extends to their colleagues.

Led by EDSE Council secretary and “closet keeper” Claire Johnson, a junior, the council curates the closet selection by reviewing each piece donated before they go on the racks. They’ve made sure there are a variety of sizes and styles available, and everything in the closet is teacher approved. Any clothing that is considered too casual is re-donated to the Transgender Clothing Closet hosted by the LGBTQ+ Resources Center.

Lydia Kraiger, left, and Claire Johnson look through the clothes in the closet. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Students who wish to use the closet fill out an online form with their availability. One of the students from the club will confirm their appointment and meet them at the closet. Like a personal shopper, club members are happy to help their closet patrons find what they’re looking for among the racks and provide feedback on how things fit and if the piece will work for their classroom needs.

The space is small, but bright; well–organized without feeling overcrowded, with clothing racks, organizational bins, and hangers thrifted from local marketplaces and faculty donations. It smells clean and fresh. It’s easy to imagine a student walking into the closet and feeling a renewed sense of empowerment and confidence.

“I’m just really impressed with all they’ve been able to accomplish and the support they’ve received from the community,” said Ray.

“And it speaks to George Mason’s commitment to education for everyone.”

To donate clothing, please reach out to Sharon Ray at sray4@gmu.edu.

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Patriot Profile: Madison Schittig

Priyanka Champaneri — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 16:13:46 +0000

Patriot Profile: Madison Schittig Priyanka Champaneri Tue, 12/10/2024 - 11:13

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Year: Junior
Major: Mason LIFE, Photography
Hometown: Warrenton, Virginia

Having a unique perspective on viewing the world is one thing—but it’s another thing to be able to photograph that perspective in a tangible way that can be shared with others. Take a look at the work of student photographer Madison Schittig, a photography intern in George Mason’s Office of University Branding (OUB), and one can immediately see she’s been gifted with the latter. Via Schittig’s striking point of view— including her eye for geometric lines, shapes, and color— familiar places on campus become abstract, and landmarks and buildings well-known to many transform in startling ways.

As a Mason LIFE student, Schittig takes classes and until recently was accompanied during her internship by the program’s student support staff, current undergraduate or graduate George Mason students. The phased support that these students provide is all part of Mason LIFE’s mission of offering a comprehensive transition program for qualified students. As of November, Schittig has progressed to attending her internship independently.

A Quiet Place: Schittig fell in love with photography after she received her first camera from her sister. It quickly became her favorite class in high school, where she found a sanctuary in the dark room. “It’s so calm in there, it’s like a stress relief,” she says. Though she now shoots digital photos for OUB, that love of the art form has continued into her time at George Mason. “It makes me feel like I have a purpose. I also feel like I’m not alone, I have a team.”

Natural Inspiration: Many of Schittig’s photos center around the natural world. “I just feel drawn to nature, because I like the woods, and I used to play in the woods when I was growing up. I like the trees, I like the grass, I even like the river…because it has texture.”

Learning from the Pros: Senior photographers Ron Aira and Evan Cantwell, MA Arts Management '10, serve as Schittig’s mentors and supervise her internship. “With Ron, he taught me how to edit raw photos, and he taught me all these cool tricks and tips. Evan taught me shooting—it’s good to shoot up close for people,” Schittig says. “I like it here, I like the people, I like the team. I really want to stay here one more year.”

Making Memories: Like many other Patriots, Schittig cites friends and clubs as her favorite things about George Mason. But Schittig’s favorite George Mason memory is a bit more personal. Twice, the university’s biweekly email newsletter has featured her work, including her self-professed favorite, a striking scene of colorful origami garlands cascading in front of a white bicycle.

Advice for Future Patriots: “Don’t be nervous. You’ll be nervous at first, but once you get the hang of it then you’ll be fine. But always bring the proper camera.”

View Schittig’s work on YouTube or in accessible PDF format.

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Groundswell partners with Mason LIFE providing scholarships, internships, and career services

Colleen Rich — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 19:46:30 +0000

Groundswell partners with Mason LIFE providing scholarships, internships, and career services Colleen Rich Thu, 09/12/2024 - 15:46

As with most internships, information technology consultant Groundswell aims to provide an experience that gives ��AV students a chance to learn about the company, delve into new areas and discover more about the industry.

Photo provided

Over the 2023-24 school year, Mason LIFE student Mohammad Nadeem did just that through his internship with McLean-based Groundswell, learning about data analytics, software development, and physical hardware.

“We wanted to ensure that we maximized his opportunities to grow as an individual,” said Tim Kelly, vice president for operational excellence for the People Services team at Groundswell. “We wanted meaningful work for him. We wanted him to try different things.”

Like destroying a laptop.

Nadeem strapped on safety goggles, wielded a hammer, and broke open laptops. Kelly said Nadeem was educated on the intricacies of removing critical components for recycling and security purposes. Over time Nadeem discovered patterns, learned how to make repairs and extract components in different devices.

“He absolutely loved it,” Mason LIFE Employment and Adult Services Coordinator Chris Williams said. “He was exposed to different things, and it offered professional building. He really enjoyed the atmosphere. Just working with others and just being treated as part of the team was valuable for him.”

“I made some friends over there,” said Nadeem of his time at Groundswell. “I would like to go back and work there. The boss is very nice.”

Nadeem will graduate next spring from the College of Education and Human Development’s (CEHD) Mason LIFE program, a four-year post-secondary comprehensive transition program for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who desire a university experience in a supportive academic environment. Mason LIFE students regularly complete internships, working in a wide range of settings, including at software companies, George Mason rec centers, Fairfax County Public Schools, and animal care facilities.

Williams said Nadeem’s experience with Groundswell boosted his confidence and independence. He drove independently from his parents’ home in Alexandria to McLean twice a week for the internship. Mason LIFE also provided support staff in to be on-site at Groundswell with Nadeem, but Kelly said as the internship progressed, “it became far less, less of them guiding him.”

“It has a huge impact. The internship experiences are critical,” Williams said. “The students are learning the importance of going to work on time. Knowing they have duties and responsibilities assigned to them that they have to complete. Working with others. Receiving feedback from their employers. Students are also learning what they like, what they don’t like.

“They were thrilled to have Mohammad. They enjoyed that they pushed him. They really appreciated that whatever they assigned Mohammad he gave 100% effort and he tried his best.”

One of those assignments, Kelly said, contributed to Groundswell winning a major environmental award. Nadeem performed analysis over several weeks to calculate the environmental impact Groundswell employees had made due to a company-wide emphasis on telecommuting.

Through the Groundswell TTRIP (Transit and Telework Resources, Impactful Practices) Program, Nadeem found that Groundswell employees in 2023 saved 49,918 gallons of gas and 24,312 trips to the office, among other notable data points.

“He became an integral part of our team,” Kelly said. “I was really proud of him. To see his confidence, see his joy, seeing him understanding the impact of the work for the company and really add value and do meaningful work.”

Kelly has been so impressed with the partnership with Mason LIFE that Groundswell recently announced the creation of scholarships for Mason LIFE students.

In addition, Groundswell wants to continue helping Mason LIFE students in their career development. This past April, Kelly and several Groundswell employees visited CEHD and facilitated an “Introduction to Work 101” workshop.

A photographer took headshots of each of the 16 Mason LIFE students who attended. Kelly and his team helped the students set up LinkedIn accounts, creating their bios and providing dos and don’ts for social media. Williams and Kelly both hope to make the workshop a semiannual career development event for Mason LIFE students.

Williams said it was truly a really great day. “To be able to hear from a professional workplace outside of the Mason community was really impactful and resonated with the students.”

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Behrmanns add to legacy with creation of undergraduate scholarship for special education program

Colleen Rich — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 14:52:21 +0000

Behrmanns add to legacy with creation of undergraduate scholarship for special education program Colleen Rich Fri, 07/26/2024 - 10:52

Year in and year out, ��AV’s special education graduate program ranks as one of the best in the nation.

June and Mike Behrmann. Photo provided

In the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings of online master’s degree programs, George Mason’s special education program ranked eighth in the country. In 2023, the special education graduate program ranked 17th in the country among public institutions and 19th overall.

Pamela Baker, the Special Education Division Director, points to one man for laying the foundation for a program that consistently produces quality teachers—Michael Behrmann.

“He is kind of a legend here,” Baker said. “He built the special education program.”

Seven years after retiring from a nearly 40-year career in the special education program that included serving as division director prior to Baker's tenure in that role, Behrmann, now professor emeritus of special education, continues to add to his legacy.

Behrmann, along with his wife, June, has generously created an undergraduate scholarship for George Mason students in the special education program. The undergraduate special education program, which was created in 2019 along with bachelor’s degrees in elementary education and early childhood education for diverse learners, aims to tighten the nationwide teacher shortage gap.

Students who plan to teach may focus their program on a specific area in the special education field by adding a licensure concentration—K-12 adaptive curriculum, K-12 general curriculum licensure or PK-12 blindness and visual impairments licensure—or pursue a nonlicensure concentration.

“Children with special needs are our most vulnerable students. We need more teachers working with this population of students,” Behrmann said. “Undergraduate programs are one way that can be really addressed and start to bite into that shortage of qualified teachers.”

Behrmann arrived at Mason in 1979 as the coordinator of the special education graduate program, which had just three faculty members and a small handful of graduate students.

Over the next four decades, the program grew as Behrmann secured more than $90 million in external grants and contracts, $30 million in revenue-based projects, and $4.5 million in gifts for special education to the university. In the mid 1980s, he also designed and implemented a master’s and a doctoral program in assistive/special education technology.

The special education program now enrolls more than 1,000 students annually and employs more than 150, which includes faculty, staff, graduate assistants, and student workers.

“I consider the faculty who are at George Mason now as my legacy,” Behrmann said. “Master’s and doctoral students who are now faculty members. They are such great researchers and trainers. Pam and that whole crew of special educators are just tremendous.”

Behrmann wants the scholarship to support special education undergraduate students who are working with the Mason LIFE Program, a four-year postsecondary comprehensive transition program for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who desire a university experience in a supportive academic environment.

When Behrmann founded the Mason LIFE program in 2005, his vision was twofold. He wanted to provide an educational, on-campus experience for students with disabilities. But he also wanted to offer Mason graduate and doctoral students—and now undergraduate students—working in the Mason LIFE program an opportunity to attain hands-on special education experience while also pursuing their degree.

The Mason LIFE program, currently led by director Linn Jorgenson, enrolls around 50 students every year, with 18 freshmen admitted for the 2024-25 school year.

“At the time, it was one of only one or two programs in the whole United States,” Behrmann said. “They have spun off, with federal support, and are much more common across the country. Seeing that program continue to be supported, within the diversity of the university, really makes me proud. All the university presidents from Alan Merten to current president Gregory Washington have been great supporters of the Mason LIFE Program.”

“It is a program that affirms our mission,” Baker said. “We are here to make a positive impact on the lives of people who have disabilities. These young adults are integrated into the fabric of the university. They come back as alumni. Our Mason LIFE students have been in the Green Machine band. They have been cheerleaders. They are all over the campus. Mike had the vision.”

The Behrmanns met when they were both teaching in Cincinnati. June then spent more than 20 years as a writer specializing in special education issues before returning to the classroom as a special education teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools. Now they want to help ensure that George Mason’s undergraduate program shapes the next generation of special education teachers.

“If we can give this [undergraduate] program the kind of marketing it needs, support more students, it has real potential to grow into a large scholarship program,” Behrmann said. “The special education program is one of the strongest programs in the university, and I’m excited to see it continue to grow.”

The Behrmanns encourage graduates of the special education programs and certificate programs to get involved personally and give back to the scholarship fund. To make a gift, click here.

“[Behrmann] is kind of a legend here,” Baker said. “He built the special education program.”

Learn more about George Mason's Special Education Graduate Program

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Mason LIFE students persevere through the pandemic to complete four-year program

Colleen Rich — Wed, 12 May 2021 13:43:04 +0000

Mason LIFE students persevere through the pandemic to complete four-year program Colleen Rich Wed, 05/12/2021 - 09:43

Sophia Gheblawi said she’ll miss her teachers and the support staff at Mason LIFE. Photo provided

Zach Fowler, 22, said he was excited to receive his certification for completing the four-year Mason Learning into Future Environments (LIFE) program. Fowler and five other students persevered through the pandemic to finish their postsecondary education at ��AV.

“It was an amazing day,” said Fowler. But, he added, he’ll miss the community he’d developed over his years in the program. Fowler especially enjoyed helping new students adapt to college life.

Mason LIFE is an innovative postsecondary program for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who want a university experience. The program is run through Mason’s College of Education and Human Development. Students typically attend Mason LIFE because they want to gain independence, take classes to increase their reading, writing, math, technology and vocational skills, and experience university life, according to Linn Jorgenson, director of Mason LIFE.

Zach Fowler was excited to receive his certification for completing the four-year Mason LIFE program. Photo provided

This year, the graduating class was smaller than normal because some students decided to defer their final year until after the pandemic. The ceremony was held virtually on Friday, May 7.

“I’m always proud of my students as they finish their education at Mason, but this past year was a true test, and the students adapted so quickly,” said Jorgenson. “They handled the changes with such professionalism.”

Sophia Gheblawi, 26, said she was exhausted from her studies, but enjoyed her time at Mason LIFE. She said she’ll miss her teachers and the support staff and expressed enthusiasm for the breadth of her education.

“I worked on my penmanship and learned how to act and not to act in a job interview,” said Gheblawi, who’s also writing a book of poetry. “My history classes helped me to expand my knowledge even further.”

Since 2002, Mason LIFE has helped students by providing them with a large support staff to assist in the classroom, employment settings and residential units. Mason LIFE students are expected to negotiate on their own transitions between classrooms and buildings, meals, and nonacademic activities, helping increase their self-sufficiency.

With the coronavirus pandemic, Mason LIFE, along with the rest of the university, had to pivot to ensure the safety of the campus. During the academic year, Mason LIFE students either learned virtually or in a hybrid environment. While students didn’t get as much freedom on campus as they normally would, they developed technology savvy and resilience, said Jorgenson.

“The silver lining in the pandemic is that students learned employable skills related to technology that would not have been developed had we not had to pivot so quickly,” said Jorgenson.

Mason LIFE plans to bring 54 students back in-person in the fall, including 14 incoming first-year students.

“Mason LIFE is part of the fabric of Mason, and the students bring a greater richness to campus,” said Pamela H. Baker, division director of the Division of Special Education and disAbility Research. “I’m so grateful Mason recognizes that every member of our community should be included in the opportunity to engage in a postsecondary learning experience.”

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Teacher Clothing Closet helps student teaching interns look and feel their best

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Behrmanns add to legacy with creation of undergraduate scholarship for special education program

Learn more about George Mason's Special Education Graduate Program

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Teacher Clothing Closet helps student teaching interns look and feel their best

Explore the College of Education and Human Development

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Behrmanns add to legacy with creation of undergraduate scholarship for special education program

Learn more about George Mason's Special Education Graduate Program

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