international students

First-year setter Tuana Ozarpaci is learning fast about the U.S. and Division I volleyball

Sarah Holland — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 19:52:52 +0000

First-year setter Tuana Ozarpaci is learning fast about the U.S. and Division I volleyball Sarah Holland Thu, 08/29/2024 - 15:52

The heavier volleyball used in NCAA Division-I play and the different feel from its international counterpart isn’t the only change to which ��AV’s Tuana Ozarpaci is quickly acclimating herself.

Photo by Rafael Suanes/Mason Athletics

Living in a foreign land, far away from home for the first time, the 18-year-old first-year setter from Istanbul, Republic of Türkiye, is taking a crash course, learning volumes both on the court and off as she settles in at her new home-away-from-home.

“It’s a whole new change, but it’s a good change,” said Ozarpaci, an economics and sports management major. “I just want to focus on my studies, volleyball, and my personal growth.”

Attending a university far from friends and family can have its challenges, but Ozarpaci is adapting well to her new environment and her new volleyball family.

In early spring 2023, Ozarpaci announced her intention to play for George Mason, becoming coach Megan Shifflett Bachman’s first commit for the incoming class of 2024. Ozarpaci chose George Mason over University of Texas, DePaul, and Loyola Marymount, citing the close relationship she had quickly developed with Shifflett Backman and current Patriots players via Zoom and her desire to find a new home preferably on the East Coast.

Ozarpaci had initially drawn the university’s attention with her impressive performance on the Turkish club team Galatasaray Sports Club, where she played in 414 sets across 133 matches and led her team with 1,000+ assists each season as the starting setter for the past three consecutive seasons.

Shifflett Bachman was on maternity leave when she heard of Ozarpaci’s decision to come to George Mason. “She was just one of those athletes who really stood out,” Shifflett Bachman said. “What she could do with the ball was impressive and immediately caught our attention.”

The number of international student-athletes playing Division I women’s volleyball has slowly risen in recent years, but they still comprise just under 6% of all Division I players, according to the latest NCAA statistics.

But Ozarpaci could play a key role for a George Mason team that looks to improve last year’s 9-21 record. Setters are the team’s quarterbacks, meaning they usually touch the ball on every play to set up teammates. Having a keen on-court awareness, knowing her teammates and accurately placing the ball are skills that are imperative for that position.

Ozarpaci will get her opportunity this fall, with the Patriots returning just one setter from last year’s team.

“Being a freshman—especially as an international student—is always going to be hard, no matter what,” Ozarpaci said. “But the coaches are making me feel safe and welcome while pushing me to improve and learn how to do things better.”

She had visited the United States with her parents and older sister before enrolling at George Mason, but the family had never been to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area before arriving in Fairfax on Aug. 1. Now, she is ready to brave this chapter on her own.

A huge basketball fan, Ozarpaci already plans on being a regular at EagleBank Arena this winter, at least when she’s not too busy with classes or sampling American culinary delights, such as Chick-fil-A and Dunkin, both on the Fairfax Campus. Ozarpaci has become a big fan of both.

“I’m loving it here, it’s beautiful, and I feel like I’m going to grow a lot,” Ozarpaci said.

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Schar student’s summer internship at Capitol Hill is a slam dunk

Shayla Brown — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 19:38:13 +0000

Schar student’s summer internship at Capitol Hill is a slam dunk Shayla Brown Mon, 07/29/2024 - 15:38

In This Story

Arnold C. Dupuy

Livija Kaktaite started her journey at ��AV in 2018 as an undergraduate global affairs major. This past May, she graduated with her master’s in international security from the Schar School of Policy and Government. During her time as a Patriot, she also played point guard and shooting guard on the women’s basketball team. Now as an alum, she continues to run up the hill—Capitol Hill.

Livija Kaktaite. Photo provided

“I’m currently interning for Representative Ann Wagner from Missouri (R-2nd). I attend [House] Foreign Affairs [Committee] hearings, take notes, and write memos. The best part about this internship is that you get as much out of it as you put in,” said Kaktaite, who is from Lithuania. “You could answer phones and make coffee, or you can be proactive and ask your colleagues ‘How can I help you?’”

Before getting her current position, Kaktaite reached out to a fellow George Mason alum Ted Dubuque, BA International Relations ’22, who is the staff assistant to Rep. Wagner. Dubuque, like Kaktaite, completed the Global Politics Fellows program while at George Mason.

“I wanted to learn about his experience, so we had a call on LinkedIn. He asked if I would want to interview with him for an internship and I ended up getting selected,” said Kaktaite, who also emphasized the importance of networking on Capitol Hill.

Along with her internship, Kaktaite is working with Schar School professor Arnold Dupuy on a NATO Science and Technology organization assignment, which dovetails with her interested in aerospace and security. Dupuy, who was working on multiple projects in the energy security field, gave Kaktaite the opportunity to work as a coordinator on the virtual workshop symposium being held.

Livija Kaktaite on Capitol Hill. Photo provided.

The internship and NATO assignment both provide practical work experience that will help her with her job search in the future.

One of the biggest lessons Kaktaite has learned from her internship so far is how important it is to understand the wide-ranging American perspective, the innerworkings of Congress, and how legislation is made, she said.

“I talk to constituents from Missouri, and I get very polarized opinions. You just have to understand the broad perspectives, needs, and concerns of everyday people,” said Kaktaite.

Following her time on Capitol Hill, Kaktaite will intern at the Lithuanian Embassy where she is participating in a NATO simulation as a representative of her native country.

“All of the participants will submit one page of their priorities and then we try to negotiate with each other and reach consensus. If we reach consensus then three people selected will be able to present it to a group of academics—generals from NATO, people from think tanks, ambassadors,” explained Kaktaite.

Kaktaite came to George Mason with the hopes of being a professional basketball player. She even played professionally in Lithuania earlier this year.

“I played the season, and it just wasn't the same,” said Kaktaite. “I'm way more passionate about international security diplomacy now. I can be more impactful there, and I am able to translate the skills that I learned in basketball, like the importance of teamwork, into my career.”

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Faur paves the way for exchange student-athletes

Colleen Rich — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 19:44:39 +0000

Faur paves the way for exchange student-athletes Colleen Rich Tue, 04/23/2024 - 15:44

When ��AV tennis coach Steve Curtis got an email from Maïlys Faur asking to join his team as an exchange student, he didn't think it was possible but he was eager to check into it with our academic and compliance offices.

Maïlys Faur is an exchange student from Toulouse, France, here at George Mason for just one year. Photo by Rafael Suanes/Mason Athletics

"The initial thought was she may not be eligible because she's not working toward a degree at Mason, and there are all these complex NCAA rules," said Curtis. "Deputy Athletic Directors Nena Rogers and Malcolm Grace started looking into it because we hadn't had this situation before. But then we figured out that it was possible because she is working toward a degree at her university [in France] so it applied."

Faur is an exchange student from Toulouse, France, here for just one year as she finishes her degrees at her home university. She's currently finishing up two degrees, in political science and literature, and will return to France to graduate in May.

Her love of tennis started by accident, confusing badminton and tennis at a young age. "When I was little, I played a lot of badminton with my family in the garden," said Faur, who attends Sorbonne Université in Paris. "So when my mom asked if I wanted to play a sport, I said 'yes I want to play tennis,' but I meant badminton. I ended up on the tennis courts, and I just never quit after that."

She played with the same tennis club through high school, but there are no collegiate tennis programs outside of the United States. So when she went to school in Paris, she found a tennis club where she could play casually, but couldn't compete the same way she used to. One of the requirements at her college is an exchange year at another school, so when Faur was picking where she wanted to go, she knew she wanted it to be in the United States so she could play tennis.

Faur says her favorite memory this season was their trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina, for PTR Springfest where they beat Saint Francis University, 4-3: "That was our first big win against a D1 team and so the energy on the court was nice,” said Faur. “We were screaming during all the points. That was the point where we really came together as a team."

Since joining, Curtis says Faur's been nothing but a positive impact. "She's one of those people that you can't not like. Everyone on the team thinks she's wonderful. She's been a great addition to the team."

Faur has paved a new path with her addition to Mason's women's tennis team: never before has there been an exchange student on a varsity team at George Mason. With this new knowledge of the possibilities, Faur's advice to future exchange student-athletes is: "Try to do it. It was such a great experience, I loved it. If I wasn't on the tennis team, my whole year would have been very different so I'm very grateful. I'm going to miss it so much."

Faur and team travel to Orlando, Florida, to compete at the 2024 Atlantic 10 Tennis Championships, April 24-27.

"I just want to thank Coach Curtis and all my teammates who were so welcoming.," said Faur. "I have so many good memories, and I'm really grateful for everything that happened to me."

Check out George Mason's Women's Tennis Team

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'Peace is a process': Emerging Myanmar leaders inspire hope for their country’s future

Sarah Holland — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 17:39:13 +0000

'Peace is a process': Emerging Myanmar leaders inspire hope for their country’s future Sarah Holland Fri, 07/07/2023 - 13:39

The graphic recording of the Lincoln Scholars' takeaways from their retreat. Photo provided.

“Peace is a process, not a goal. And we’ve got to stay with it.”

It was a sunny afternoon in mid-June. Graduate students in the 2022 cohort of the Lincoln Scholarship Program sat in the grass outside ��AV’s Point of View International Retreat and Research Center in Lorton, Virginia, and watched as a graphic recorder sketched their takeaways onto a larger sheet of paper.

“Inclusivity is a built-in feature, not an add on to the systems we create,” suggested another. It, too, was added to the board.

For the past three years, Lincoln Scholars have concluded their first year of the program with a week-long retreat on leadership and conflict analysis and resolution, hosted by the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. Wrapped in the lush natural landscape along the shores of Belmont Bay, the scholars embark on a journey of intensive skill-building and planning for how to usher Myanmar toward a democratic future.

The Lincoln Scholarship Program started in 2019 through funding to the Institute of International Education (IIE) by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Burma. Over the course of seven years, 135 emerging Myanmar leaders will be awarded scholarships to study graduate degrees in the United States and receive training in conflict resolution. The intention is for students to return to Myanmar upon graduation to support the growth of their country through socio-economic development, respect for ethnic and religious diversity, and democratic governance.

Two years after the inception of this program, the 2021 military coup overthrew the elected Myanmar government. Now, more than ever, young leaders are Myanmar’s hope for a democratic future.

Associate Dean of Carter School, Juliette Rouge, leads a workshop at the retreat. Photo provided.

Mason’s Carter School, one of the program’s implementation partners, provides critical learning opportunities for these students as they search for solutions to Myanmar’s tumultuous state. Carter School partners with leadership development instructor Kristine Wood to provide on-arrival orientation to conflict resolution and leadership, re-entry workshops, a two-year online course in Foundations of Conflict Resolution, and the summer seminar at Point of View.

“These students have all demonstrated a passion for leadership and change-making in Myanmar. They need concrete skills and confidence to navigate the complex social conflicts,” said Carter School Associate Dean Juliette Rouge.

Rouge, an associate professor of conflict analysis and resolution, leads Carter School’s efforts with the Lincoln Scholarship Program, including the week-long seminar and ongoing two-year course. “The Mason component provides them with the tools and skills to peace-build in their technical subject areas, such as policy, agriculture, or forestry, as well as using their contextual knowledge of Myanmar to theorize effective, long-lasting change,” she said.

The seminar serves to both expand their understanding of conflict analysis and resolution, and to give these emerging leaders a chance to collaborate on action plans for the betterment of Myanmar. Due to the fraught circumstances of the country, this is, for many of them, their first time getting to work with like-minded individuals with hopes for a return to a democratic Myanmar.

The week is part-training, part-practice. Facilitators guide participants through simulations, roleplay, and working groups, such as the “Perspective Pie,” where students stand in slices with assigned “perspectives” to reflect on a central problem from different angles.

Each cohort creates an action plan to solve Myanmar’s wicked problems. One of the resulting plans from this year’s seminar considered access to education. Since the military assumed control, pro-democracy students no longer have access to higher education in Myanmar, and opposition to military-controlled schools has led to a dramatic decline in attendance in primary schools. The Lincoln Scholars, then, started on a plan for forging alternative pathways to education that would circumvent military control.

Mason is one of the few universities that can do this kind of work because of Carter School’s unique approach to peace building and conflict resolution. “The Carter School method is teaching students how to sit down and understand conflict and resolution from all sides, instead of going in and telling people what to do,” said Jeff Zitomer, director of communications and marketing for Carter School. “We teach our students how to empower people to improve their situation on their own. And there’s not many schools that do that.”

“It's inspiring to watch [the scholars] think through how to make social change in a very repressive society without space for democratic engagement,” said Rouge. “And it’s an opportunity for Carter School to have a direct impact in finding sustainable solutions by working with the people who are impacted by the circumstances, understand the contexts, and are prepared to do the work.”

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Mason grad took advantage of her opportunities

Colleen Rich — Wed, 11 May 2022 15:45:29 +0000

Mason grad took advantage of her opportunities Colleen Rich Wed, 05/11/2022 - 11:45

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Retro Mason: International Week April 2016

Colleen Rich — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 17:29:33 +0000

Retro Mason: International Week April 2016 Colleen Rich Thu, 03/24/2022 - 13:29

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International Week has always been one of those campus activities that heralded spring at ��AV. It began in the 1970s as International Night. Held in the Lecture Hall, the evening included dance performances much like the current celebrations.

Starting in 1981, one night became a week of activities, which took on the nickname of iWeek and at times included a cricket tournament, guest speakers, fashion shows, a very popular dance competition, and the opportunity to sample different cuisines.

Mason international students represent 130 countries, and each spring the Johnson Center is adorned with the flags of many countries.

One of the most anticipated iWeek events is the Parade of Flags during which Mason students and student organizations get to display their flag and walk the campus. Even foul weather cannot keep this parade from happening—it just moves indoors.

The International Week Dance Competition also draws a lot of student participation. This year's competition will be held on Thursday, March 31, at 7 p.m. in Center for the Arts Concert Hall. Past competitions can be viewed online by going to IWeek.gmu.edu or YouTube.

"Since the beginning of Mason’s celebration of International Week, thousands of domestic and international students have had the wonderful opportunity to learn from one another about shared values, new perspectives and views of the world, culture, food, and the arts," said Christina Lehnertz, interim director of Mason's Office of International Programs and Services.

This year's International Week is Mason's 41st celebration and runs March 25–April 3, 2022.

Watch the 31st International Week in action here.

Photo credit: Evan Cantwell, Creative Services

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Expanding the promise of international education

Melanie Balog — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 19:35:26 +0000

Expanding the promise of international education Melanie Balog Fri, 01/14/2022 - 14:35

LaNitra Berger. Photo provided.

LaNitra Berger, associate director of ��AV’s African and African American Studies program and senior director of the Office of Fellowships in the Office of Undergraduate Education, has been named the president of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, and the chair of its board of directors.

NAFSA is the world's largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange, serving the needs of more than 10,000 members and international educators worldwide at more than 3,500 institutions, in more than 150 countries. NAFSA advances the field of international education through campus internationalization, global learning, and leadership.

Berger said she was honored to have been elected to this leadership role, noting that NAFSA’S members and educators have an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in areas such as social justice, environmental sustainability, peace and conflict resolution, entrepreneurship, STEM, and global health.

“I anticipate the challenges and opportunities of leading the organization as we work to navigate COVID’s seismic effects as well as a global racial reckoning,” she said. “International education empowers and inspires students, scholars, and professionals to be open-minded, critical thinkers who are willing to address global challenges by viewing them from multiple perspectives. 2022 will be an exciting year of change and renewal.”

Alongside her work for the AAAS program, Berger has successfully led the fellowships office since 2010, helping students secure more than $2 million in prestigious, externally funded fellowships, including the Fulbright, Boren, Gilman, Truman, Udall, and Critical Language Scholarship awards. Inclusive excellence has been the core focus of her leadership; a majority of Mason’s nationally competitive fellowship recipients have been first-generation, minority, and/or low-income students.

Berger has a strong commitment to internationalization, which she fosters through student advising, university service, and research. In 2015, she received the Spirit of King Award for diversifying study abroad, and in 2018, she received the Margaret C. Howell Award Outstanding Achievement Award for her work to promote respect, diversity, and dignity for students, and for developing programs that promote cross-cultural understanding and cooperation.

Berger is an active member of the Diversity Abroad Network and volunteers with Globalize DC. She previously served as NAFSA’s vice president for Public Policy and Practice, and is the author of the NAFSA guide, Exploring Education Abroad: A Guide for Racial and Ethnic Minority Participants (NAFSA, 2016). She is also the editor of Social Justice and International Education: Research, Practice, Perspectives (NAFSA, 2020), which has been NAFSA’s best-selling book for over a year. Her first monograph, Irma Stern and the Racial Paradox of South African Modern Art: Audacities of Color, was published by Bloomsbury Academic in 2020.

Berger said she particularly appreciates how her new role in NAFSA will spotlight Mason’s programs in international education. The position offers a platform for interaction with government agencies as well as other institutions that are committed to internationalization and inclusive excellence. “It’s an exciting opportunity for Mason and for our AAAS program to be positioned in both international education and social justice,” she said.

This article first appeared on the College of Humanities and Social Sciences website.

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INTO Mason helps international students acclimate to American academics, learn English

Colleen Rich — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 12:54:39 +0000

INTO Mason helps international students acclimate to American academics, learn English Colleen Rich Wed, 06/23/2021 - 08:54

INTO Mason students on the Fairfax Campus in Fall 2019. File photo by Evan Cantwell

When Patcharaporn Adchariyavivit moved to Virginia from Thailand to study data analytics at ��AV, she had no experience being a college student in the United States. So she decided to attend INTO ��AV (INTO Mason) first, which helped her hone her English skills and get acclimated to American culture and university expectations.

“The classes helped me so much,” said Adchariyavivit, who attended both virtual and hybrid classes. “They taught me the way you write a paper here and things about American culture I did not know.”

INTO Mason offers both undergraduate and graduate pathway programs for international students who want to study at Mason. A partnership between Mason and INTO University Partnerships, INTO Mason supports a diverse group of students, according to its website, “from application to graduation.”

“Our programs are designed to help students improve their English skills, understand the U.S. academic world, and provide them with wrap-around support so they succeed once they are fully immersed in their academic studies at Mason,” said Todd Rose, executive director of INTO Mason.

Since 2014, INTO Mason has offered classes to more than 3,000 students from 70 different countries, such as China, Saudi Arabia, India, Thailand, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Russia, Kenya, and Turkey.

Enrollment numbers were steadily growing before COVID-19 and for the 2019-20 academic year, the undergraduate programs boasted 117 students, and the graduate programs had 143 students.

The pandemic, along with Trump administration limits on student travel, presented some challenges for INTO Mason programs in the few past years. However, even during the pandemic, INTO Mason was still able to offer online classes for students staying in their home countries and online, hybrid and in-person classes for students who had traveled to the area.

INTO Mason administrators anticipate this coming year for enrollment to grow slightly from the 2020-21 low point with the hope that 2022-23 sees a return to pre-pandemic enrollment levels.

Students who have gone through the INTO Mason programs are typically successful in their chosen studies, said Aimee Weinstein, INTO Mason term assistant professor. For example, 82% of students who start in an INTO Mason graduate pathway program go on to graduate with a master’s degree.

“The people who work at INTO Mason, from professors to enrollment specialists, are really focused on student success,” said Weinstein. “That translates into students who feel confident that they can succeed and are encouraged every step of the way.”

Qiusen Lin, who traveled from China to Fairfax to pursue a master’s degree in industrial-organizational psychology at Mason, recommends the program to other international students interested in attending an American university. Lin said that even through the pandemic, he was able to learn what he needed to learn through online classes.

“The academic training was useful,” said Lin. “I also am glad I chose Mason because of its high rankings, reputation and location near Washington, D.C.”

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First-year setter Tuana Ozarpaci is learning fast about the U.S. and Division I volleyball

Get the schedule for George Mason's fall sports

See what makes our students All Together Different

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Schar student’s summer internship at Capitol Hill is a slam dunk

In This Story

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