University Life

George Mason Makes Space for Well-Being During Finals Week

Three students stand at a table lined with small glass bottles and pump dispensers, sampling aromatherapy products during the Healing Together event. The student on the left wears a gray George Mason Patriots sweatshirt; the student in the center wears a brown top and sunglasses and reaches toward the display.
Students sample scents at the aromatherapy bar during the 2026 Heal Together event at George Mason University on May 7. Photo by Joylin Lee Ting, Student Media.

 

By Tiffany Boggs, Student Media. Edited by Chelsea Xu, UL Marketing and Communications.

On May 7, with finals in full throttle, George Mason offered a space for students to slow down.

The 2026 Heal Together event, hosted by the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community (OACC), and partnered with the Center for Leadership and Intercultural Engagement, Contemporary Student Services, the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, and Community Engagement and Civic Learning, created spaces encouraging students and faculty to reclaim rest as a form of restoration, resistance, and renewal during finals week.

Four students sit around a round table covered with art supplies including painted rocks, watercolor palettes, brushes, markers, and watercolor books. A student in the center smiles while reaching across the table. A student on the right wears a green George Mason University t-shirt. A "Mason Recreation" sign is visible in the background.
Students paint rocks and explore art supplies at a creative activity station. Photo by Joylin Lee Ting, Student Media.

“Our belief is that healing is collective. Nobody heals in isolation, and our liberation is tied together,” said Shakila Melchior, director of strategic initiatives, partnerships, and outreach for OACC.

A student sits cross-legged on a round floor cushion, eyes closed, wearing over-ear headphones and glasses. A "Welcome to Quiet Tech" sign is visible on the wall behind her, flanked by large tropical plants. A second cushion with headphones rests nearby.
A student listens through headphones at the Quiet Tech station. Photo by Joylin Lee Ting, Student Media.

A clinician of 15 years, Melchior framed the event around what she learned from practice. “Stress lives in the body and it is so important for us to take breaks throughout time, especially in high-stress times,” she said.

Activities in the newly opened Spiritual and Interfaith Center included Quiet Tech— a silent disco headphones and virtual reality experience — alongside positive affirmation cards, sensory grounding, painting, an aromatherapy bar, and herbal tea blending workshops. For Angie Mendizabal, a junior, the combination of journaling and Quiet Tech opened up something new for her. “When you write down exactly what you know is best for you or what’s holding you back or what you’re feeling now…just writing it on a sheet of paper really helps,” she said.

A handmade poster reading "Write Something Kind — Take and Leave a Heart" hangs in a sunlit window, decorated with colorful fabric hearts. Below it, a windowsill holds a small green pot, a jar of markers, scissors, and cutout paper hearts in yellow, pink, and teal.
A “Write Something Kind — Take and Leave a Heart” display invites participants to share affirmations. Photo by Joylin Lee Ting, Student Media.

University offices hosted additional rest spaces across campus. Through Counseling and Psychological Services, Mind Spa offered 30-minute appointments in a zero-gravity massage chair with aromatherapy. Human Resources offered Rest to Recharge, an educational room built around seven types of rest: mental, physical, emotional, social, spiritual, creative, and sensory. For those who needed something looser, Play to Restore had board games, LEGO building, lawn games, and free play at the Corner Pocket.

For Maddi Steen, a sophomore, the intentional programming reflected her George Mason experience. “I think George Mason does a really good job of reminding us that we matter as individuals and that we’re not in this alone,” she said. “I’m thankful to go to an institution that prioritizes mental health and community.”