Anna Stolley Persky

Building a Bridge

Colleen Rich — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 19:48:47 +0000

Building a Bridge Colleen Rich Thu, 08/29/2024 - 15:48

Since 2014, INTO ��AV has offered classes to more than 3,000 international students from 70 countries, including China, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Azerbaijan, and Turkey.

INTO students at move in. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

A collaboration between George Mason and INTO University Partnerships, INTO Mason offers both undergraduate and graduate pathway programs for international students who want to study at George Mason.

“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 George Mason,” says Todd Rose, executive director of INTO Mason.

Students who have gone through the INTO Mason programs are typically successful in their chosen studies, says Aimee Weinstein, DA Higher Education ’06, INTO Mason term assistant professor. For example, 82 percent of students who start in an INTO Mason graduate pathway program go on to graduate with a master’s degree.

“At INTO Mason, everyone—from professors to enrollment specialists—is really focused on student success,” says Weinstein. “That translates into students who feel confident that they can succeed and are encouraged every step of the way.”

Learn more about INTO Mason

Opening Doors

Colleen Rich — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 16:17:46 +0000

Opening Doors Colleen Rich Tue, 11/01/2022 - 12:17

For 35 years, Mason’s Early Identification Program has been helping Northern Virginia middle and high school students prepare for their future college careers.

Monica Amaya

Monica Amaya, a senior at Manassas Park High School in Virginia, balances studies and a job at a restaurant. In the fall, Amaya will be attending ��AV and has been accepted into the Honors College. She credits Mason’s Early Identification Program (EIP) for getting her ready for college.

“The program pushed me, motivated me, throughout high school so I could set an example for my younger siblings and show that it is possible for us to achieve our dreams,” says Amaya, who will be the first in her family to go to college. “We can do anything if we work hard.”

There are thousands of Northern Virginia students like Amaya who can credit Mason’s EIP mentors and administrators for helping focus, encourage, and guide them through the rigors of high school academics and the maze of the college application process. The program specifically centers on lifting up both students from traditionally marginalized communities and those who will be the first in their families to attend college, also known as first-generation students.

The program was established in 1987 as the brainchild of then-Fairfax County Public Schools superintendent E. Wayne Harris and then-Mason president George Johnson. After more than 30 years, the program has grown into an innovative, multi-year college preparatory program for middle and high school students that is unique in the country not just for its breadth and reach, but also for the way it celebrates and embraces its students. That praise comes straight from EIP graduates, employees, and former director Lewis E. Forrest II, BA English ’96, MEd Counseling and Development ’05.

“There are other precollege programs and success programs out there,” says Forrest, now an associate dean in the Office of University Life at Mason. “But what makes EIP special is the level of care and commitment to these students. When they go through the program, students feel like they have a family at EIP, a family that cares deeply about how they are doing and seeing them succeed.”

When Hortensia Cadenas directed EIP from 1989 to 2010, her office was filled with photos of EIP graduates. She is pictured here in 2007 when the program was celebrating its 20th anniversary. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

At the time of EIP’s birth, there was a growing body of data showing that college student enrollment from marginalized communities was low in part because students were not getting the preparation they needed to attend college. Harris and Johnson determined that there had to be a way to help these students develop the skills they needed to both attend and succeed. Harris and Johnson partnered on an idea that initially centered on a summer academy to give students a chance to strengthen their academics in an encouraging environment.

“From the start, Mason has believed in the program and cared about the community around them and finding ways to help,” says EIP’s first director Hortensia Cadenas, BA ’80, MA ’93. “They saw a need in the community, and they did something about it.”

Funded by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the pilot program reached 48 Fairfax County Public Schools students.

“Word spread quickly,” says Cadenas, who was hired in 1989 and ran the program until her retirement in 2010. “Other school systems started signing on. Arlington came next, then Prince William County.”

Seeing the program's impact on students is Khaseem Davis's favorite part of his job. "We are able to change the life circumstances of these young men and women because of Mason," he says.

EIP now serves more than 700 students annually. The program provides access to educational resources for students from seven local public school systems, helping them acquire the skills they need to become lifelong learners, leaders, and responsible global citizens.

Students who are interested in the program apply during their seventh-grade year. If selected, they then spend the next five years in mentoring sessions, tutoring, a mandatory three-week summer academy, and additional programming intended to boost their academics, with a specific focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

“Over the past few years, we’ve been fine-tuning the program, building its infrastructure, and deepening our engagement with students,” says Khaseem Davis, current EIP director. “It is continuing to grow as we broaden the impact we have on students throughout the region.”

Davis credits Cadenas for growing the program early on. One of the first things Cadenas did as director was to increase opportunities for connections with students’ families.

“We added parenting and family classes so that we could establish communication with the parents, and they would [have opportunities to] understand how important college education was for their children’s future,” Cadenas says. “We needed to know that the students had support at home.”

After adding family classes, Cadenas says they began strengthening the academic opportunities, creating new weekend events for math and science review, along with opportunities to explore different careers. They found partnerships with local businesses and created college scholarship opportunities as well as tutoring jobs for EIP graduates attending Mason.

“For many of these students, being part of EIP is life-changing,” says Rhina Alvarado, BA ’07, MEd ’21, EIP’s associate director. “While they were motivated before, they start to see a path for themselves and they have a community that cares whether they get there. They have people who engage holistically in their development into adults.”

As college applications become more onerous, there’s an even heavier focus on the logistics of the admissions process, including helping students and parents understand the implications of a financial aid package.

“The parents of our students may care deeply about their children going to college but often don’t have the experience or understanding of what the application process entails,” says Alvarado. “We can guide our students and their families in every aspect of the process. We put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into the success of every one of our students.”

One major benefit of participating in the program, alumni say, is establishing close friendships with students similarly motivated to excel.

“If you are a graduate of EIP, you still care deeply about the friendships you made during that time and about the program,” says Alvarado, herself an EIP alum who holds two Mason degrees. “You have a loyalty you never forget.”

2021 EIP graduation ceremony at Mason Square. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

This story originally ran in the Summer/Fall 2022 Mason Spirit.

Visit the EIP website to learn more

Topics

Masonat50

Mason Spirit

Early Identification Program (EIP)

Spirit Fall 22

Mason students help the environment with sustainability summer fellowships

Colleen Rich — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 14:33:15 +0000

Mason students help the environment with sustainability summer fellowships Colleen Rich Tue, 09/13/2022 - 10:33

Mason doctoral student Sri Saahitya Uppalapati takes questions following her virtual presentation on her work with Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action.

��AV doctoral and graduate students helped the environment, nonprofit organizations and the local community with summer projects through the Sustainability Summer Graduate Research Fellowships. This summer marked the first time Mason’s Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE) has offered the fellowship program.

Thanks to a unique collaboration between ISE and the Office of Graduate Education, eight student fellows received funding to research a variety of topics, including solid waste reduction strategies and helping Fairfax County’s goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions. A video presentation of their final projects can be found here.

“Our students were able to offer organizations and the community their cutting-edge research skills,” said Jeremy Campbell, ISE’s associate director of strategic engagement. “The students benefited from the fellowships by getting real-world experiences early on in their graduate careers and seeing their research make a difference.”

Campbell emphasized the importance of the partner organizations participating in the program and said that he planned to continue the summer fellowships, as well as further develop partnerships with local government entities, nonprofit organizations and other outside groups. He also said that students participating in the fellowship program were able to network in their field of interest.

All of the participating students except one are pursuing doctorates. The students came from a variety of study areas, including sociology and conflict analysis and resolution.

A chart from Mason doctoral student Shawn Smith's presentation.

Sri Saahitya Uppalapati, who is pursuing a PhD in communication in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, worked on building communications materials for Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action about the impact of the climate crisis on health in Virginia.

“It was inspiring to be surrounded by such dedicated and committed folks who truly care about the intersection of climate and health,” Uppalapati said.

Bradley Gay, a doctoral student in earth systems and geoinformation sciences in the College of Science, partnered with Blake Vullo, doctoral student in sociology in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, to work on Future Earth’s Global Food Program. Gay studied land use change using global remote sensing data analysis. The results of his study will help push for policy that is backed up by data, Gay said.

“I appreciated the chance to study something that I’m interested in that also will be hopefully extremely helpful in policy change,” Gay said. “It was a great opportunity.”

Other students and their projects included:

Arvind Geetha Christo, doctoral student in sociology, worked on conservation and environmental justice in South Asia, partnering with the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security program.

Ashton Rohmer, doctoral student in conflict analysis and resolution at the Carter School, tackled the sustainability aspects of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill with the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Stacy Lynn Yike, master’s student in environmental science and policy, looked at solid waste reduction strategies in the context of Fairfax County’s climate action plan with the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions.

Shawn Smith, doctoral student in environmental science and policy, researched air and water pollution, environmental health, and public policy, with the Sierra Club, Virginia Chapter.

Dhruv Deepak, doctoral student in sociology, worked on globally diverse forms of community-level sustainability paradigms as part of Future Earth’s Program on Systems of Sustainable Consumption and Production.

Topics

Students

Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE)

Sustainability Research

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

College of Science

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Research

Graduate Education

Mason students build digital archive for victims of China’s mid 20th century Anti-‘Rightist’ Campaign

Colleen Rich — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 19:23:05 +0000

Mason students build digital archive for victims of China’s mid 20th century Anti-‘Rightist’ Campaign Colleen Rich Thu, 09/01/2022 - 15:23

In This Story

Myeong Lee

Learn more about the Summer Impact Projects

This summer, ��AV students designed and developed a pilot web-based archival application to organize documents relating to the victims of China’s Anti-“Rightist” Campaign in the 1950s.

The student team brainstorming ideas. Photo provided

Six undergraduate students and one doctoral student participated in a Summer Team Impact Project to build the online platform. Using the pilot application, researchers will be able to search extensive archives relating to names, birth and death dates, and biographies of individuals labeled “Rightists.”

“The documentation hasn’t been easily searchable, “said Myeong Lee, assistant professor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology who co-supervised the project. “This online platform will allow people the ability not only to search through the archive, but also to contribute to it as more information is tracked down.”

Predating China’s Cultural Revolution, the Anti-“Rightist” Campaign was launched by Chairman Mao Zedong to purge “Rightists” from the Chinese Communist Party and the entire country.

Beginning in 1957 and lasting for about two years, the campaign may have affected between 500,000 and 2 million individuals. Targeted individuals were reeducated, humiliated, relocated, or executed. The main focus was on “intellectuals,” which tended to mean professors, artists teachers, writers and doctors.

“There are very few people alive from that time who can tell us about what happened, so it is urgent that we document who the ‘Rightists’ were along with their experiences,” said Shanshan Cui, associate professor specializing in design in Mason’s School of Art who supervised the project with Lee.

The student researchers presented the results of their summer efforts online in August. In the presentation, the students describe how their goal was to research and create an online archive that was easy to navigate, beginning with 40,000 documents.

“I am definitely glad I participated in the project,” said Weilon Price, a senior majoring in computer science. “I learned a lot about web framework and analyzing large amounts of data. I also learned a lot about teamwork and communicating effectively with my team.”

The student researchers, who had prior experience and interest in software design and development, received training in the areas of data analysis, computational methods for processing large amounts of information, and software development.

“Working on the project was a good way to spend my summer,” said Joel Adeniji, a senior majoring in computer science. “I got a chance to help make sure this part of history is never forgotten.”

Topics

Students

Office of Student Scholarship Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR)

Summer Impact

multidisciplinary effort

College of Engineering and Computing

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

Meet Ajay Vinzé, dean of Mason’s School of Business

Colleen Rich — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 14:28:43 +0000

Meet Ajay Vinzé, dean of Mason’s School of Business Colleen Rich Mon, 08/22/2022 - 10:28

Ajay Vinzé, the new dean of ��AV’s School of Business, recently sat down for an interview, discussing his vision for the school, his background, his thoughts on education and his Instagram account for his dog. Vinzé, former dean of the Trulaske College of Business at the University of Missouri, joined Mason July 1.

Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

Tell us a little bit about your background.

I was born in India and spent my formative years in the Philippines. I got my undergraduate education in India and then came to the United States. I completed my doctoral degree at the University of Arizona after earning my MBA from the University of Connecticut. I enjoy working in university setting because I love research and the idea of contributing, even in a small way, to the learning in a specific area—being around talented and enthusiastic students is an added plus. I have had many areas of interest, but particularly how technology impacts business practice. As I worked more in academia, I developed a passion for helping universities partner with their communities to make a difference.

Why did you decide to come to Mason?

After working with universities with long histories, I was fascinated by Mason’s youth and rapid growth. I thought there’s something interesting going on here. I was also intrigued by its location, that it sits on the edge of Washington, D.C., arguably the most vibrant capital city in the world. And then I saw that Northern Virginia has a vibrant, thriving business climate. I saw that the business school had acclaimed faculty doing interesting research. And then I thought, this is a fantastic opportunity to make a difference and be in an exciting place. The real question is why wouldn’t I come here?

What assets do you bring to the role of dean?

I bring 30 years of experience in academia, along with my ability to create business partnerships. I bring a global perspective and a genuine enthusiasm and passion for higher education and its role in our society. When you teach students, you aren’t just helping them get jobs, you are crafting the next generation of thinkers and creators, and I bring with me a deep belief in the importance of that role.

How would you describe your leadership style?

Before I make a decision that changes how things are run, I like to listen to as many people as possible. You never know where a good idea will come from, and it’s important to hear a variety of perspectives. I also like to be collaborative and data-driven in any decision, as well as ensure that any change we make is meaningful in context. In the end, though, once I’ve looked at the data and gotten input from people involved, I am not shy about being decisive.

What is your strategic vision for the School of Business?

It’s important to continuously improve student experience and increase career readiness, along with encourage impactful research. I also want the school to lead in creating modular education, allowing students, including lifelong learners, to customize their education to their needs. The school has done a lot of innovative and engaging collaborations with the business community, and I intend to encourage and increase these important collaborations.

In general, when you look at higher education, it’s imperative to be on top of technology and innovation. The business school, its management and culture, needs to have an ability to adapt and change quickly. In addition, we need to embrace globalization and understand that we aren’t just competing within our narrow neighborhood, but nationally and internationally. The Business School needs to lead as an institution of gravitas providing value in society. I hope to continue to grow the school as a creative, inclusive institution focused on excellence.

Knowing that Mason prides itself on its diversity, how do you see leading the business school’s efforts on diversity and inclusion?

Diversity and inclusion are not an afterthought. These concepts have to be woven into the fabric of how you think, operate and conduct yourself. I take seriously my role in getting everyone on board with the notion that it’s everyone’s responsibility to be inclusive in everything we do.

Finally, I understand you have a dog that you…maybe obsess over a little bit?

Yes, animals are a big passion of mine, and I like to work with rescue operations. I have a rescue German Shepherd named Dizney, and I’ve dedicated an Instagram account to her. It’s my guilty pleasure. Her nickname is Dizaso her Instagram handle is @dcdiza.

Learn about the School of Business

In This Story

Ajay Vinzé

Topics

Campus News

Costello College of Business

Costello College of Business News

Spirit Magazine

Spirit Spring 2023

Mason’s STEP program helps first-generation students get ready for the college experience

Colleen Rich — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 15:23:14 +0000

Mason’s STEP program helps first-generation students get ready for the college experience Colleen Rich Tue, 08/16/2022 - 11:23

Meet the Class of 2026

Freshman Joshua Dias has long been a part of the Mason Nation
October 13, 2022
Mason was the university next door, now it’s this freshman’s home
September 15, 2022
Incoming Patriot leaps from high school to her sophomore year of college
August 31, 2022
Another chance to lead for Mason volleyball star
August 30, 2022
Incoming freshman is determined to be heard
August 23, 2022

From left, Mason incoming freshmen Jacie Hernandez, Linh Vu, and Neyda Gonzalez spent six weeks on campus this summer as a part of the Student Transition Empowerment Program (STEP). Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

Linh Vu, a recent graduate of Lake Braddock High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, spent six weeks this summer living on ��AV’s Fairfax Campus preparing for her first year of college.

Vu, who plans to study nursing, attended Mason’s Student Transition Empowerment Program’s (STEP) Summer, a residential program for incoming Mason first-year students who are also first-generation. Participants, who are selected through an application process, live on campus and participate in a variety of workshops and activities aimed at helping them navigate college and build a support system. They also earn three college credits.

“I’m going to be a commuter student; I was worried about being part of the community. But now, because of being in this program, I already feel a part of it,” Vu said. “Through STEP, I got a chance to understand Mason better.”

STEP is an initiative of the First-Gen + Center created to enhance the recruitment, engagement and retention of first-generation college students. Its mission is to empower first-generation students through academic skill development, access to resources, community building and self-discovery. This year, the summer program had 37 student participants and 10 staff members, all of whom also were or are first-generation college students themselves. The program, free to participating students, is funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Kelsey Ruiz, a STEP Summer staff member, said that first-generation college students often struggle because they don’t have the advantage of parents who have experienced college and understand how it works. In addition, first-generation college students can come from lower-income circumstances.

“While they are at STEP Summer, the students are getting the best of the college experience. It is an opportunity not to worry about food or housing insecurity,” said Ruiz. “Students also go on activities together and have critical community dialogue sessions about identity and respecting themselves and each other.”

Neyda Gonzalez, who graduated from Justice High School in Fairfax County, said she’s grateful for the opportunity through STEP Summer to meet other students before the fall semester.

“I was worried I would feel alone, but now I’ve already started making friends and memories,” Gonzalez, who plans to study accounting. “STEP helped me understand and get to know other first-generation students who are different from myself. That’s important because Mason is such a diverse school, and now I feel like I will be able to connect with more people because I’ve already experienced the diversity in STEP.”

STEP evolved to its current format and structure from the initial Student Transition Program, started in 1990 to increase college access and retention for Virginia Black, Hispanic and Latino college students, according to Amber Holton-Thomas, director of the First-Gen+ Center.

“Students who participate in STEP have six weeks together, gain college credits, and build community,” said Holton-Thomas. “The most valuable aspect is that the program doesn't end after summer, but instead is a multi-year support initiative. STEP Scholars have support, programming and scholarships throughout their entire time at Mason."

Jacie Hernandez, who graduated from Liberty High School in Fauquier County, plans to study computer game design at Mason. Hernandez said STEP Summer helped with anticipating what the fall semester might be like.

“It was an honor to be part of the program,” Hernandez said. “I feel ready to start the next chapter of my life.”

Topics

Students

Student Transition Empowerment Program STEP

first-generation

Meet the Class of 2026

First Gen + Center

Former Mason students use Generation Hope grants to help student parents and their children

Colleen Rich — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 16:56:29 +0000

Former Mason students use Generation Hope grants to help student parents and their children Colleen Rich Mon, 08/01/2022 - 12:56

Colleen Forsee. Photo provided

Colleen Forsee attended ��AV for two years studying public administration, while caring for the child she had when she was 15. While Forsee has not yet graduated and instead focuses her time on raising five children, she still recalls how challenging it was to be a young college student with a child. Forsee wanted to find a way to help other parents navigate child-rearing and going to college.

Forsee received a $500 grant from Generation Hope to create nature kits to encourage outdoor play and foster parent-child engagement in natural settings. Forsee’s seven kits, filled with weaving material, playdough, games and seeds to grow pea plants, can be found in various locations on the Fairfax Campus, including Student Union Building (SUB) I.

“I wanted to provide student parents and their children with fun activities that helped bring a busy family back to the natural setting,” Forsee said. “Spending time outside is a good emotional regulator.”

Forsee and Mason alumna Carla Rocha are two out of 12 winners of Generation Hope’s “Our Campus, Our Voice” initiative, which challenged people to come up with ways to create more family-friendly college campuses.

Carla Rocha. Photo provided

Rocha, who graduated from Mason in 2019 with a degree in integrative studies, stocked 13 child activity kits with toys, books, coloring materials and other child-friendly supplies that are also available throughout the campus.

“It’s important for student parents to feel that they belong at the university, and this is one way to help,” said Rocha, who attended Mason as a single parent. “I wanted to help student parents feel like they could bring their children with them while they went around campus or studied. I wanted them to know that they were welcome at Mason.”

Generation Hope is a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to helping young mothers and fathers become college graduates while readying their children for early education. Generation Hope also advocates nationally with student parents and tries to address the financial and emotional hurdles standing in the path of them pursuing a college degree.

Mason alumna Nicole Lynn Lewis, founder and chief executive of Generation Hope, said the “Our Campus, Our Voice” challenge is a “wonderful opportunity for student parents to show us what they and other student parents need in educational spaces” to make them more child-friendly.

Colleen Forsee’s kits are filled with weaving material, playdough, games and seeds to grow pea plants. Photo provided

“There are so many barriers to student parents, so we thought the challenge was a way for us to live out our values and lean on their expertise,” said Lewis, who graduated from Mason in 2006 with a master’s degree in public policy. “The projects have all been so innovative, and we are hoping college leaders take note of what student parents think is needed on campuses.”

“It’s amazing that our student parent alumni and former students are taking the time to give back to current student parents through developing and distributing these kits,” said Kerin Hilker-Balkissoon, director of Mason’s Educational and Career Pathways in the College of Science and chair of the Student-Parent Task Force. “Mason’s collaboration with Generation Hope goes back many years, and we’re excited to continue to partner with them to be more welcoming and supportive of student parents.”

Topics

Mason’s First-Gen+ Center helps students navigate the university experience

Colleen Rich — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 14:05:14 +0000

Mason’s First-Gen+ Center helps students navigate the university experience Colleen Rich Wed, 07/20/2022 - 10:05

First-Gen+ Center Assistant Director Nakia Waters works with Mason student Dung Ngo. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

��AV prides itself on its diversity and the number of first-generation college students it attracts. To help first-generation college students navigate a large university, Mason’s University Life created the First-Gen+ Center in 2021 to provide resources, mentoring and programming.

The First-Gen+ Center’s mission is to support students who are historically underrepresented in higher education and their allies, while specifically focusing on students who identify as first-generation, who identify as undocumented, have refugee status, or belong to families with limited income.

In 2020, about 26% of Mason students described themselves as first-generation college students. About 7,500 currently enrolled Mason students are connected to the First-Gen Center.

“We take seriously our role in helping students who might not otherwise have the chance [to] pursue their higher education with success,” said Amber Holton-Thomas, director of the center. “The University Life vision is that ‘every student succeeds,’ and one big way our office helps is by demystifying the university process.”

Housed in Student Union Building I on the Fairfax Campus, The First-Gen+ Center can trace its roots to the Student Transition Empowerment Program (STEP), which began in 1990 as the Summer Transition Program. Back in person this summer for the first time since the pandemic, STEP was Mason’s first effort to help first-generation college students get acclimated to the college experience by providing academic preparation, career exploration, and empowerment activities the summer before beginning college. STEP joined University Life in 2005.

As Mason administrators determined how best to leverage the university resources, the First-Gen+ Center, which is, was created in 2021.

President Gregory Washington has emphasized the importance to Mason of its first-generation students.

“We've always prided ourselves on putting students first, and they have truly shown us what they are made of,” Washington told an audience in EagleBank Arena during his investiture address. “Most of our students hail from historically disenfranchised communities—three out of 10 are first-generation. They have a vision for a better life for themselves, their families and their communities, and they are not strangers to adversity, occasional rejection, and hard work.”

In addition to organizing STEP, the First-Gen+ Center, which is housed in Student Union Building I on the Fairfax Campus, facilitates scholarships, offers one-on-one discussion sessions, oversees a mentoring program, creates programming for First-Gen Week, coordinates training related to undocumented students, hosts community building events and sends out a weekly newsletter to students on the mailing list.

The center has both professional and student staff; the latter work in the office or volunteer as mentors and tend to be first-generation college students themselves, intent on giving back, said Holton-Thomas.

Oliver Yu, a first-generation college student and Mason junior majoring in computational and data sciences, agreed.

“The students that work within the First-Gen+ Center are passionate in their roles and look for ways to best utilize them to help others,” said Yu, who worked for the center as a research assistant.

Mason’s definition of a first-generation college student includes someone whose parent or legal guardian(s) did not receive or complete post-secondary education, or who received a two-year degree or earned any level of post-secondary school outside the United States.

“Sometimes we have Mason students come up to us and realize that they are also first-generation college students because of how we define it,” Holton-Thomas said. “Just because, for example, someone’s parents got an advanced degree outside the U.S. doesn’t mean they understand or have experience with navigating the U.S. college system, so we are here to help.”

Topics

Student Transition Empowerment Program STEP

Spirit Fall 22

INTO Mason students learn about the significance of Juneteenth, the Civil War and local history

Colleen Rich — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 17:10:28 +0000

INTO Mason students learn about the significance of Juneteenth, the Civil War and local history Colleen Rich Wed, 06/22/2022 - 13:10

INTO Mason students went on a guided tour of the Enslaved People of George Mason Memorial. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

Students participating in INTO ��AV’s summer English program learned about the significance of Juneteenth and went on a guided tour Tuesday of the Enslaved People of George Mason Memorial and the Civil War redoubt located on the university’s Fairfax Campus.

Steven A. Harris-Scott, INTO Mason’s interim associate academic director for faculty affairs and strategic initiatives, led a crowd of about 60 students on the tour, discussing George Mason IV, his history as both a founder and slave owner, the Civil War and the ways that racism still exists in the United States.

INTO Mason students, who come from all over the world to learn English and American academic customs, often arrive in the U.S. with little understanding of how race has affected this country, said Harris-Scott.

“International students aren’t necessarily aware of the history of racism in this country, yet they experience aspects of racism when they get here,” said Harris-Scott. “It’s part of our mission to engage our international students in American culture, and that includes our history of racism. I thought Juneteenth and our historical landmarks provided us with a way to broach a conversation about American history and racism.”

Han Pham, an INTO Mason student from Vietnam, said she appreciated the tour and the explanation about the country’s history of slavery.

“I like that I had the chance to learn more about the history of the U.S.” Pham said.

INTO Mason students also learned about the U.S. Civil War when visiting the redoubt preserved on the Fairfax Campus. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

About 60 INTO Mason students attend the intensive 10-week English language program offered in the summer. The students come to learn English, often with the intention to pursue further higher education in the United States. INTO Mason is a partnership between INTO University Partnerships and Mason. The program supports international students from application to graduation, and offers a variety of ways to help foreign students achieve success in the United States.

The tour and discussion, said Harris-Scott, was a way to get the students “out of the building to experience something physical and tangible” and also teach them about Juneteenth.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, or Jubilee Day, commemorates June 19, 1865, the day that news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached Galveston, Texas, more than two years late. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

Juneteenth has long been a day of remembrance and an opportunity for Black people in the United States to honor their history and emphasize their citizenship.

Tomaya Itami, an INTO Mason student from Japan, said that learning about the U.S.’s past, including its history of slavery and racism, was “necessary” for him to know.

“I had no idea that George Mason used to have slaves, and I learned about how they were treated,” Itami said. “It’s important to know.”

Harris-Scott first took the students to the Civil War redoubt located in the woods behind the western edge of Parking Lot K. The redoubt is a circular earthen fortification constructed and used during the Civil War. A number of different Union and Confederate military forces occupied the fort during the war, including a brigade led by Stonewall Jackson.

Harris-Scott then took the students to both the George Mason statue and the Enslaved People of George Mason Memorial, the centerpiece of Wilkins Plaza, spanning roughly 300 feet, to remember the history of the people enslaved by George Mason at Gunston Hall.

Wendi Manuel-Scott, a professor within the School of Integrative Studies, the Department of History and Art History, and one of the faculty members on the project, has said its goal is to “focus on expanding our community’s understanding of Mason, and to focus on the people he owned and what they thought about freedom.”

Munib Abdullah, an INTO Mason student from Saudi Arabia, said he was glad to have gone on the tour and to have learned about Juneteenth, but also that he was surprised that Mason owned slaves.

“It’s good to know about the good and the bad things about the past in order to help us with the present and the future,” Abdullah said.

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Mason’s Impact Fellows Program allows students to combine business and sustainability interests

Colleen Rich — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 17:08:23 +0000

Mason’s Impact Fellows Program allows students to combine business and sustainability interests Colleen Rich Wed, 06/15/2022 - 13:08

Mason Impact Fellows work at the Mountain Area Nutritional Needs Alliance (MANNA) Foodbank in Asheville, N.C., where the group processed and packed 840 pounds of black beans. Photo by Karen King/School of Business

��AV rising junior Ashanti Martin, 20, is passionate about sustainability and, specifically, addressing food insecurity.

Martin recently finished a two-year stint in the Impact Fellows Program, which focuses on helping students learn about how to help businesses achieve sustainable goals. The program is run through the School of Business’s Business for a Better World Center.

The program began in 2020, with Martin’s cohort of 15 students. It provides incoming freshmen an opportunity to join up with like-minded students interested in social and environmental issues.

“Being part of the Impact Fellows Program broke me out of my shell,” said Martin, who is studying management information systems. “It was such a comfortable environment where we were encouraged to be ourselves. Through the program, I got more confidence.”

Mason student Hagan Van Deest helps package black beans at North Carolina foodbank. Photo by Karen King/School of Business

The next cohort will start in the fall. Participation in the program is funded by the School of Business and generous donor support, said Leila G. Austin, assistant professor of business foundations and Impact Fellows co-faculty director

“One of the goals of the program is to attract students from less represented groups, so that it is an inclusive cohort,” Austin said.

Fellows are provided with opportunities through research, internships and collaborations to work with local businesses on tackling global issues, such as sustainability. Faculty and business professionals mentor the students throughout the two years, said Shora Moteabbed, an assistant professor in the Business School and Impact Fellows co-faculty director.

“The entire journey as an Impact Fellow has been very rewarding,” said Naila Ahsan, a rising junior studying management. “I got the most supportive teachers and mentors through the program, who constantly encouraged me to be a better version of myself.”

Asli Baskaya, a rising junior studying marketing, said the program introduced her to people in the business world she might not otherwise have met. Having them not only mentor her but befriend her was a bonus, she added.

Mason students Faith Kim, Ashanti Martin, Selassie Fugar, Oishee Mukhopadhyaya, Riley Benecke and Leila Austin help out at the North Carolina Foodbank. Photo by Karen King/School of Business

The program culminated in a trip to North Carolina, during which the students did volunteer work and met with area nonprofits.

Karen King, assistant professor of business, said that the program is part of a global movement to mold a business curriculum that “creates purposeful young people ready to step into their career.”

“I have always had the goal to become an entrepreneur,” said Kevin Jiang, a rising junior studying business analytics. “Being in the program gave me ideas of how I can do good things in the world while running a business.”

Martin said that through the program she grew more interested in helping in the goal of zero hunger, collaborating with the Patriot Pantry and working with the newly formed Be the Change student organization, which is focused on gender equality and upcycling clothing.

Faith Kim, Ashanti Martin, Selassie Fugar, Oishee Mukhopadhyaya, Riley Benecke, Leila Austin“Being an Impact Fellow has made me realize how much I can do in the community to help,” Martin said.

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