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george mason university | fall 2023

LETTER FROM OUR VICE PRESIDENT, ROSE PASCARELL

Cultivating Growth, Inspiring Innovation

Friends of the Mason Community,

I entered fall 2023 mindful of the swirling energy that encapsulates each of our campuses. The spark that had dimmed during the pandemic has been reignited – students are connected, curious, and eager to engage. That great sense of vibrancy and vitality serves as my daily reminder to stay present and attuned to our students today, while we simultaneously charge forward, creating the Mason of tomorrow.

The past few years have brought unprecedented opportunities for staff within our division of University Life to zoom out, hit refresh, and examine student needs in new ways. Now more than ever before we are leaning on digital solutions to extend our reach and our impact. We are aligning and re-engineering our work, placing students squarely at the center of our design. The unique journey of every Mason student matters – and we seek to understand it – so that we can build and support structures that will enable their success.

And you may have heard the news – our enrollment has now surpassed 40,000 students! This remarkable achievement illustrates the influence and impact of a Mason education. At a time when colleges and universities across the globe are experiencing enrollment dips, Mason continues to expand. This is truly a testament to the resilience of our community and the confidence and support garnered from our many partners.

With this elation around Mason’s record high enrollment comes a profound sense of responsibility. For University Life, this growth only underscores the urgency of our mission – to cultivate an Inclusive Thriving Community where freedom of expression and care for our community go hand-in-hand; To Engage All Students through transformative learning and leadership opportunities, empowering them to make an impact on our local community and on the world; to provide Holistic Student Support Services that enable well-being, safety, and success; and to optimize our outputs through Organizational Excellence, leaning on new technologies and approaches that will transform our work.

As Mason grows and evolves, we remain laser focused on our vision: Every Student Succeeds.

This 4th issue of Succeed is packed with stories that showcase the talent, grit, and resiliency of our students. It highlights the expertise of our staff and the possibilities that exist through partnership.

Our dual commitments to social justice and freedom of expression;
The enduring tradition of bench painting that has nurtured the growth of student organizations over the years;
Inspirational stories of students who earned invitations to attend the Clinton Global Initiative University;
Our engagement with a thriving international student community;
Activation of the visionary Mason Square campus in Arlington, VA, paving a new path by fostering connections with the local community;
The embodiment of community service by our Fraternity and Sorority Life organizations;
Green Machine’s memorable visit to the White House;
Partnerships providing real-time growth opportunities for graduates of our Early Identification Program;
The rise of a popular new sport, now with dedicated space at Mason;
Our electrifying $1 billion campaign, which promises to make the next 50 years of Mason’s history even more impactful than the last.

We in University Life, bolstered by our many collaborators, are pushing ever forward to power Mason’s future.

With gratitude,

Rose Pascarell,
Vice President for University Life

Fall 2023 Articles

Click the boxes below to read each featured article from SUCCEED magazine, Fall 2023 Edition.

Freedom of Expression:

Freedom of expression and care for community go hand-in-hand

Bench Painting:

Unique tradition helps Mason student organizations thrive

Clinton Global Initiative University:

Mason students emerge from national conference intent on improving society

International Week:

International Week engages students from around the globe

Activating in Arlington:

How Mason Square charts a bold new path

Fraternity and Sorority Life:

Fraternity brothers and sorority sisters commit to ‘bettering our community and ourselves.

Green Machine:

Green Machine takes the White House

EARLY IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM:

Corporate partners offer real-time experiences to Early Identification Program graduates

Mason Recreation:

What’s the dill with Pickleball?

Giving at a glance:

Power Mason’s Future

Giving to UL:

Harnessing the Power of Family

Bringing Solutions Home:

Mason and Capital Area Foodbank partner to address food insecurity

View our featured student profiles

Coming out of high school, Marcara Wright wanted to be part of a diverse college campus rich in different perspectives. As a Top 10 public university for diversity, Mason seemed the perfect choice.

Yet, enrolling at Mason posed a challenge: Where could she fit in?

Wright often heard the same question working as a Mason ambassador and taking prospective students on campus tours. She decided the best way to answer was to find out firsthand, so she got involved in helping Mason’s diverse student body get connected.

Now a senior, Wright is president of BLACC Mason, the Black, African Heritage and Caribbean Coalition. And she works as a student ambassador in the university’s Center for Culture, Equity & Empowerment (CCEE). Both entities support the work of student organizations representing marginalized communities on campus.

“I want to make sure we are being as inclusive as possible,” Wright said. “It’s important that we have a voice and are being heard.”

In addition to her on-campus work, Wright traveled with CCEE staff to South Africa this past summer to study social justice. She also has visited Kenya for research projects related to her major in community health. On her latest trip in July, Wright set up tick traps and learned about vector-borne disease.

The overseas experiences are invaluable as Wright wraps up her degree and applies to master’s programs in public health. The trips have also given her more exposure to diverse cultures, making her better prepared to advocate for underrepresented students. With these experiences, she’s better able to answer that question about fitting in on campus.

“People are definitely able to find their niche at Mason,” Wright said. “It’s all about people wanting to go out and explore the opportunities and resources.”

Hailing from Central Florida, more than 800 miles from Fairfax, Paul Wyche was drawn to Mason for its highly rated Cyber Security Engineering degree, a specialization offered by only a handful of colleges nationally.

And what Mason delivered once he stepped onto campus only reaffirmed his choice.

Wyche, now a junior, says his program’s reputation has only gotten better since he began his Mason journey. His professional development skills have expanded, and he’s had a top-notch social experience while getting involved with a variety of activities – from student government to serving as a Mason Ambassador, conducting tours for prospective and incoming students, Wyche has found meaningful ways to serve his Mason community. He also works on campus with Mason Recreation as Head Lifeguard and Swim Meet Manager at the Aquatic and Fitness Center.

In addition to bountiful opportunities for involvement, Paul points out Mason’s inclusive culture, its ability for students to get involved in over 450 registered student organizations or start their own group, and the existing local, state, federal and private partnerships that can lead to internships and jobs.

“Mason is the land of opportunity,” said Wyche, who won election as the student body president in spring 2023. “Almost anything you can think of, Mason either has it or can provide you with the opportunities and resources to make it happen.”

One resource Wyche highlights is the Mason Innovation Exchange, known as the MIX, which offers everything from virtual reality systems, laser cutting, 3D printing, sewing machines and more at no extra cost.

After graduation, Wyche hopes to stay in the D.C. metro area working for the federal government or private sector as a cyber security analyst. He’ll always be a Mason proponent because of what the university has given him and the connections he’s made to the community. Mason can be the answer to anyone’s higher education and professional dreams, he says.

“If you want to go to an R1 (Tier 1 Research) institution with adjunct professors who have connections in the federal government and/or private sector, Mason is for you,” Wyche said. “If you want to go to an institution that will work with you to make college as affordable as possible, Mason is for you. If you want to go to an institution that celebrates your differences and identity, Mason is for you. If you are the first generation of your family to decide to go to college but want someplace that has resources specifically catered to you, Mason is for you. If you want to be a leader amongst students and create real change on campus, Mason is for you.”

“No matter who you are, where you’re from, what your economic background is, Mason is for you.”

While Shivanan Singh searched for jobs prior to his graduation, he began feeling stressed, uncomfortable, and panicky. Virtual counseling sessions – available free to Mason students through University Life’s partnership… TimelyCare – provided the help to calm Singh’s angst and put him in a better state of mind.

Singh used an app on his phone to access immediate assistance with TimelyCare’s 24/7 availability, and then he scheduled long-term weekly appointments.

“The sessions helped me navigate the process of finding employment, overcoming past fears in other jobs and develop healthier habits of accepting change,” Singh said, noting he was informed of the service by University Life staff at the SciTech Campus. “It helped me to feel more confident in finding mental care that I regularly need.”

TimelyCare is a vital virtual mental health and well-being platform specifically for college students, who can access on-demand support, health coaching, scheduled counseling sessions, psychiatry appointments and self-care content that support students with schooling and life concerns.

The virtual services are easy to access, and work around college students’ busy lifestyles, Singh said. He also had the ability to experiment with multiple counselors to find the right fit. The consistency, timeliness and variety of services were strengths in Singh’s eyes.

“For Mason to provide this service, I feel like they care about their students, and that they want their students to be healthy and flourish in their academic endeavors,” he said. “I am very thankful to Mason for providing this service.

Singh’s advice to Mason students who are considering using TimelyCare for any type of trauma is simple:

“Try it,” he said. “Although it may feel uncomfortable at first, be patient with the counselors and yourself, and soon you will acquire the care you seek. Do not give up on your mental health.”

When entering Mason as a graduate student amid the COVID-19 pandemic and while working full time, Emily Crawford’s campus involvement could have been seriously limited.

She chose the opposite course of action, diving in and becoming part of the community fabric at Mason Square in Arlington. She served as an ambassador for University Life and was vice president of the Graduate and Professional Student Association in addition to taking an aggressive course of classes.

“Getting involved gave me close confidants, advisors, and cheerleaders who supported me in ways I didn’t even know I needed,” Crawford said. “They gave me a reason to show up to campus and show up to class. I still look to them today for mentorship and friendship.”

Crawford was able to work her way through graduate school accumulating zero student debt because of ample scholarship aid from Mason. She selected the university for its high-quality education and the high regard for its graduates. Crawford said Mason provides flexible programs and learning plans for every type of student. The campuses are a focal point and create a close environment where “you won’t feel alone in a sea of students.”

Mason Square, Crawford said, is in the middle of Arlington’s best food, restaurant, and entertainment scene, and its location on the metro line made it convenient and connected to northern Virginia and D.C. Crawford said Mason Square’s plaza is a prime asset for students and the community.

“It is a welcoming space with areas to connect to technology and people pretty much all day every day,” Crawford said.

She’ll be able to do that even after her recent graduation. Her Mason experience helped her land a position as Director of Federal Advocacy with the Los Angeles-based firm, Vectis Strategies. While it is headquartered in California, Crawford will stay close to Mason.

“I am excited to stay in the Washington, D.C., area and grow my policy experience,” she said.

There’s a kicker at the end of the story when Kevin Velazquez-Lazar explains his Mason experience as helping him become a better person and student, enriching his world-view perspective and allowing him to form… connections for life.

All that and Velazquez-Lazaro, 16, isn’t even formally enrolled in classes.

The Wakefield High School student has been exposed to the Patriot way through Mason’s Early Identification Program, an office of University Life. Velazquez-Lazaro joined during his 8th grade year and has been active since, taking part in academic mentoring, a STEM session, a summer academy and an Institute for Excellence session during the 2023 summer.

The programs have put him on Mason’s Fairfax campus and have had a profound impact.

“This helped me learn a lot about college life and how to create connections with those around me,” Velazquez-Lazaro said. “This program pushed me to be more open as a person and have some good connections with people I knew, and thanks to this program I have created some nice relationships with friends, mentors, and even the director of the program.

“EIP can be a life-changer for many first-generation families, and I highly recommend this program. This program will help you in different aspects, not just the educational side, but also the personal, emotional, and business side of life and school.”

All that and Velazquez-Lazaro, 16, isn’t even formally enrolled in classes.

The programs have put him on Mason’s Fairfax campus and have had a profound impact.

Velazques-Lazaro said entering Mason in Fall 2025 holds excitement for him as he will deepen the ties he’s made and create more relationships with fellow students and mentors for years to come.

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