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Nontraditional family with tight bond is Mason’s 2019 Family of the Year

Time for Tailgating

Your family can still join us for Family Weekend!

Family Weekend 2019 is a few short days away. If you did not register online for Family Weekend, you can still join us this weekend! Family Weekend provides families with the opportunity to come together to connect, celebrate and make new memories, which is why our event schedule includes events for everyone. You can walk in and register on-site at Check-In, which begins at noon on Friday in Dewberry Lobby on the ground floor of the Johnson Center. Read more to ensure a smooth Family Weekend check-in process.

Mason to honor faculty and staff at outstanding achievement awards

Faculty and staff participate in The Student Experience Workshop. Photo by: Ron Aira/Creative Services/George Mason University

George Mason University will host the 22nd annual Outstanding Achievement Awards for faculty and staff on Thursday, Oct. 31, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Johnson Center’s Dewberry Hall.

“The Outstanding Achievement Awards is one way Mason recognizes and honors the exceptional contributions of faculty and staff, by supporting and showing appreciation for those who work tirelessly, lead by example and embrace Mason’s values,” said Lester Arnold, Mason’s vice president for Human Resources and Payroll.

Make plans to attend Family Weekend: Register online before October 27

ADVANCE receives national award for enhancing the student transition experience

George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) were honored with the 2019 John N. Gardner Institutional Excellence for Students in Transition Award for their innovative partnership ADVANCE.

The award, presented by the National Resource Center for the First Year Experience and Students in Transition, recognizes cross-institutional initiatives that aim to enhance the student transition experience at the undergraduate level.

ADVANCE grows for fall 2019, offering more pathways to a four-year degree

Adeline Vo can sum up in four words her experience in the ADVANCE Program, a transfer pathway between Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University that aligns curriculum, financial aid, advising and other student services.

“Complete peace of mind,” said Vo, 25, who in addition to attending classes at NOVA manages a hair and nail salon in Washington, D.C. “The only problem I need to focus on is going to work and getting the grades. All the white noise in between isn’t an issue as much anymore. That should be how it is.”

Hundreds of students and their families are making that same discovery. In the second year of the ADVANCE Program, more than 690 students are enrolled, including nearly 400 students who joined this fall. ADVANCE now offers 102 pathways in various degrees—five times as many as when it launched last year.

Mason receives $250,000 award from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation recently announced a $250,000 award to support ADVANCE and the Early Identification Program (EIP)—two transformational programs at George Mason University that are creating unprecedented educational access to diverse student populations. Consistent with the foundation’s core mission, this grant funding will ensure the success of exceptionally promising students with financial need who are enrolled in these programs.

Mason student gets ‘Good Morning America’ spotlight

Karen Escobar took a seat in Fenwick Library on George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus, cracked open a book and powered up her laptop.

But the junior criminology, law and society major was not there just to study, she also was being videotaped by a crew from ABC’s “Good Morning America,” which is producing a segment on Generation Hope, a local nonprofit that provides financial aid and mentoring to help teen parents become college graduates and help children enter kindergarten at higher levels of readiness.

Watch Karen’s surprise student loan payoff

Mason Student Services Center celebrates launch

The Mason Student Services Center celebrated its grand opening Wednesday, Sept. 4, as part of Welcome2Mason.

Students gave feedback about their experience with the center and enjoyed Italian ice, t-shirt giveaways and raffle prizes.

The Mason Student Services Center opened over the summer in the lower level of Student Union Building I. In that short amount of time, they have served more than 7,000 visitors, averaging more than 200 per day.