ADVANCE

Social work education and practicum lead to life‑changing client outcomes

Taylor Thomas — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:22:42 +0000

Social work education and practicum lead to life‑changing client outcomes Taylor Thomas Thu, 04/30/2026 - 09:22

Key Takeaways:

First-generation George Mason social work student Evelyn Carcamo is graduating after six years of balancing work, parenting, and school.
Through her practicum at Ayuda, she connects immigrants and refugee survivors with resources
Carcamo plans to pursue a master’s in social work and become a licensed clinical social worker serving underserved communities.

At the local nonprofit Ayuda, one client came to Evelyn Carcamo overwhelmed. With limited access to food and no clear way to get health care, he wasn’t sure how to provide for his family.

Carcamo, a social work student at 91��'s College of Public Health, helped him sort through his options. She connected him to food assistance and walked him through applying for Medicaid, linking him to medical and mental health services.

Evelyn Carcamo. Photo provided.

Over time, she saw a shift in the way he engaged. “He became more confident, more comfortable asking questions, and more involved in planning next steps for himself,” she said.

Carcamo is completing her practicum at Ayuda as part of her bachelor’s degree program at George Mason, conducting intakes and needs assessments for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, and other crimes. Many of her clients are immigrants and refugees navigating systems that feel unfamiliar and intimidating to them.

“They’re high-need clients,” she said. “But it's very rewarding.”

It’s work she recognizes on a personal level. Carcamo grew up watching her parents, who came to the United States from El Salvador before she was born, teach themselves English and wade through resources without guidance.

In May, Carcamo will graduate as a first-generation college student. She wants to continue her work serving immigrant and underserved communities as a clinical social worker, with plans to start George Mason’s master of social work program next fall.

Shifting goals

For Carcamo, a career in social work marks a shift years in the making.

Growing up in Arlington, Virginia, Carcamo never saw higher education as a given. High school graduation was the milestone. After earning her diploma, she went straight into the workforce as a medical assistant and, at 25, gave birth to her son.

For three years at Mason and Partners Clinic, Carcamo served as an interpreter for largely uninsured, Spanish-speaking patients. Many of them revealed more than their symptoms.

“People would tell me their whole story,” she said. “And then they’d leave, and I’d still think about them, like, ‘Oh, I wonder if they got that resource they needed.’”

Moments like that changed how she thought about helping people. “That’s how I started to realize I wanted to do something beyond medical,” she said. “I wanted to make a difference in another way.”

At the same time, she’d hit a ceiling in her career. “I realized I had to go back to school or I wasn’t going to move forward,” she said.

Carcamo first enrolled at Northern Virginia Community College, then transferred to 91�� through the ADVANCE Program.

“As a medical assistant, I was very task-focused and centered on immediate physical needs,” Carcamo said. “Now, I take a more holistic and trauma-informed approach. I spend more time listening, building trust, and understanding each client’s lived experience. This shift has made my work feel more meaningful and more connected to the people I serve.”

Her coursework at George Mason has helped her appreciate more fully what her clients are up against. “They’re not just dealing with individual challenges, but also bigger systemic issues like language access, immigration concerns, and financial stress,” she said.

Finding her place

While raising her son, now 9 years old, on her own., Carcamo has earned Dean’s List recognition and received the Rose Rago Braddock Endowed Scholarship, awarded based on merit and financial need.

“It’s been overwhelming sometimes,” she said. “I have to make sure my job is flexible. I have to make sure I get my assignments turned in on time. I have to make sure I make it to practicum and get my hours. I have to be at my son’s events and make sure he’s well taken care of.”

She’s steadied herself by focusing on the long view. “It’s just temporary,” she would repeat. “The finish line is almost there.”

After six years of balancing work, parenting, and school at George Mason, Carcamo is now just weeks away from graduating. And her younger sister, now at Virginia Commonwealth University, is also hoping to pursue social work, following a path Carcamo helped clear.

"I always tell her, get it done now," Carcamo said. "It will be so much easier than what I did. If I can show her it's possible, that means everything to me.”

Topics

Bachelor of Social Work

CPH - Social Work

social work students

Social Work

Social Work Education

George Mason’s ADVANCE Program highlighted as a national transfer model

Katarina Benson — Mon, 05 May 2025 17:49:21 +0000

George Mason’s ADVANCE Program highlighted as a national transfer model Katarina Benson Mon, 05/05/2025 - 13:49

The ADVANCE Program, a highly successful transfer partnership between Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and 91��, is showcased in the newly released Transfer Playbook 2.0, a joint publication of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and the Community College Research Center.

The Transfer Playbook highlights the ADVANCE Program as a national model for addressing the historically complex transfer process between community colleges and four-year institutions, citing nine examples that illustrate ADVANCE’s exceptional success. More than 90% of ADVANCE students complete their bachelor’s degree within two years of transferring to George Mason.

Student with Advance shirt. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

The Transfer Playbook presents key strategies that community colleges and four-year institutions can adopt to eliminate obstacles faced by students, such as credit loss and low bachelor’s degree completion rates. Among the 80% of community college students aiming for a bachelor's degree nationally, only 16% achieve that goal within six years. The Transfer Playbook emphasizes the success of ADVANCE, which provides a framework of collaborative governance and a robust coaching program.

ADVANCE has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a national model for addressing transfer challenges.

“Since its 2018 launch, ADVANCE has improved enrollment, retention, and graduation rates for participating students while at NOVA, and their success continues after transferring to George Mason, leading to accelerated degree completion,” said NOVA President Anne M. Kress. “ADVANCE makes bachelor’s degrees more affordable and attainable, supporting NOVA’s mission to transform students’ lives and expand opportunity.”

George Mason President Gregory Washington spoke about the program’s success on PBS NewsHour: “It requires people to sit together in a room, it requires people on both ends to modify classes, to make them work together. So, all of those hurdles are real ones, but if we provide the proper pathway, they actually can achieve and they will be successful.”

The ADVANCE Program is a key component of the Mason Virginia Promise (MVP), George Mason’s statewide initiative to expand access to higher education and economic opportunity. MVP builds on the success of ADVANCE by streamlining transfer to George Mason for students who participate at NOVA. MVP also offers training and financial support to Virginians who aspire to start a business—reinforcing the university’s commitment to the commonwealth’s economic success.

More than 6,000 students are enrolled in ADVANCE.
The program eliminates transfer credit guesswork by offering 87 academic pathways that map to NOVA and George Mason curricula.
60% of ADVANCE students are first generation, showing strong participation from those who stand to benefit most.
Coaches at both NOVA and George Mason take a holistic approach to supporting student success.

Proof of Success: ADVANCE’s Graduation and Retention Rates

As of fall 2024, students at George Mason completed an average of seven fewer credits, taking 1.5 fewer semesters to graduate compared to non-ADVANCE transfer students.
Among the 2021 cohort, the fall-to-fall retention rate for students at NOVA was 87%, well above the national community college average of 61%.
At George Mason, the 2021 cohort’s retention rate was 96%, far exceeding the national average for four-year universities.

Learn more about the ADVANCE Program.

Learn more about ADVANCE

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Janis S. Reed Scholarship helps BAM student keep her focus

Greg Johnson — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 19:44:42 +0000

Janis S. Reed Scholarship helps BAM student keep her focus Greg Johnson Fri, 04/18/2025 - 15:44

Receiving the Janis S. Reed Scholarship sharpened the focus even more for the goal-oriented Anh Tran. Wrapping up her final semester as an undergraduate student in accounting at 91�� and completing the bachelor’s to accelerated master’s (BAM) program, she already had her eyes on the larger picture.

Anh Tran

Following a similar path as her aunt and nearly 30 other students each year, she attended two years at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) in the ADVANCE Program before transferring into the accounting program at George Mason. Her path is now leading her to completing the CPA exam after finishing her master’s degree courses.

Tran was drawn to the Costello College of Business because of its reputation for excellence and diversity. After transferring from NOVA, she worked with an academic advisor to see how she could earn the credits required to sit for the CPA exam. That’s when she first learned about the BAM program. At first, she was concerned that taking undergraduate and graduate courses at the same time would be too much. However, as she eased into the course material, she found that it was nothing she could not handle. Tran is now one of more than 60 BAM students pursuing this accelerated path to the MS in accounting degree.

Still, her course load was increasingly heavy, so Tran was relieved that the Janis S. Reed Scholarship helped pay off her financial costs. “It’s my first time taking both the undergraduate and also the grad classes, so I really want to focus on school,” she says.

Not only did the scholarship help with finances, but it also gave her other opportunities, like connecting her with Reed herself. “I had a chance to talk to her and other recipients at the scholarship luncheon,” she says. “She gave us good advice for our academic journey and then also tips for the career journey that we asked her for. It was really a great opportunity for us to meet her, and she was very sweet and friendly.”

The scholarship luncheon, which brought together Costello donors and recipients to the Fairfax Campus, was an experience that Tran was grateful to take advantage of.

Looking back on her experiences at the Costello College of Business, Tran is glad that she took advantage of many of the opportunities, some of which were recommended or assigned by professors. She recalls attending the career fair for the first time with one of her classmates.

“At that event, I had my first opportunity to talk with real recruiters, and it was really special for me,” she says.

It was at that career fair where she had the chance to interview for her first internship. The internship was exactly what she was looking for—a great learning experience in the professional tax services area at a public accounting firm.

Through focus, hard work, and informed planning, Tran is on schedule to sit for the CPA exam after graduation. She plans to begin her career immediately and balance her CPA studies with her work schedule. “I want to work for a public accounting firm, perhaps in the tax area as well,” she says. “I believe I am familiar with taxes after my past internships, and I’d like to gain more knowledge and experience about this field.”

Tran is excited to begin her state and local taxes internship at a public accounting firm in the summer of 2025. Another summer plan that she’s looking forward to is the global residency trip to Rome, Italy, as part of her global accounting environment class, where she will be able to engage with local companies and explore the culture.

Topics

Costello College of Business News

Costello College of Business Scholarships

Costello College of Business Students

Master's in Accounting Program

George Mason Partners with Local School Systems for Two Lab Schools

Katarina Benson — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 18:09:25 +0000

George Mason Partners with Local School Systems for Two Lab Schools Katarina Benson Wed, 12/11/2024 - 13:09

91�� has received Virginia Board of Education funding for two of 14 lab schools being established around the commonwealth.

In partnership with local employers and community organizations, Virginia lab schools are focused on expanding opportunities for students by exposing them to workplaces that highlight the important role academic success plays in life. The lab schools provide another chance for George Mason to meet students where they are to offer them a distinctive educational path to achieve their goals, while also addressing career readiness objectives in the commonwealth.

George Mason is working with Northern Virginia Community College and Loudoun County Public Schools on the Accelerated College and Employability Skills (ACCESS) Academy, which will provide students with an alternative education pathway that emphasizes employability skills, innovative teaching and learning methods, and immersive experiences developed with industry partners, researchers, and instructional faculty.

Students in grades 9 and 10 will focus on completing high school graduation requirements while being introduced to problem-based learning. Students in grades 11 and 12 can then earn up to 30 college credits that may be applied toward a two- or four-year degree program upon graduation.

Researchers and industry partners will also work with ACCESS students as part of a new Learning Innovation Lab, where teaching and learning innovations will be applied, evaluated, adapted, and disseminated.

Roberto Pamas of George Mason’s School of Education has been selected to serve as director of ACCESS Academy. In this role, he has been working with lab school partners to develop curriculum and course offerings and assessing staffing requirements and other resource needs. ACCESS Academy is expected to launch in fall 2025.

The Shenandoah Valley Rural Regional College Partnership Laboratory School for Data Science, Computing, and Applications (DSCA) is a collaboration between the university and Laurel Ridge Community College, Frederick County Public Schools, and Mountain Vista Governor’s School, as well as six rural and rural-fringe school districts in the Shenandoah Valley.

Programming will support 10th through 12th graders and cover data science and computing, research opportunities, apprenticeships and internships, experiential and project-based learning, certifications and microcredentials in data analytics, opportunities to earn an associate’s degree and college credits, as well as work-based learning opportunities. Students begin preparing for the lab school during their sophomore year, with programming starting in their junior and senior years.

“The vision is to create a data literate workforce empowered with skills, knowledge, and the mindset necessary to solve problems in a data-driven world,” says George Mason mathematical sciences professor Padhu Seshaiyer, who leads the effort.

The DSCA lab school will officially begin in fall 2025, with online offerings starting during the 2024–25 academic year. The school’s physical location will be in Frederick County. In addition to the students’ regular coursework in their respective districts, lab school courses will take place online through George Mason, Laurel Ridge Community College, and the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation.

Laura Powers contributed to this story.

Discover the Mason Virginia Promise

Rubiera becomes the first ADVANCE MVP student to matriculate to George Mason

ckearney — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:22:20 +0000

Rubiera becomes the first ADVANCE MVP student to matriculate to George Mason ckearney Mon, 09/09/2024 - 10:22

Alizé Rubiera was focused on graduating from community college and had never heard of 91��’s ADVANCE Program until she received an e-mail that changed her life last fall.

Photo by John Hollis/Office of University Branding

For Rubiera, this program was the catalyst that led to the 19-year-old Fredericksburg native to transfer from Germanna Community College to George Mason to begin her junior year. Now, she is proudly poised to become the first person in her family to earn a college degree.

ADVANCE, part of the Mason Virginia Promise (MVP) initiative, is a collaborative partnership between 91�� and several Virginia community colleges, designed to enhance the transfer experience for community college students pursuing a bachelor's degree. These partnerships offer significant cost savings, a simplified admission and financial aid process, and access to additional grant programs, all while benefiting from the support of a dedicated advisor to ensure success with no loss of credits.

George Mason’s partnership with Germanna Community College in Fredericksburg, Virginia, was announced in June 2022.

“It feels amazing,” Rubiera said of her eventual graduation. “My mom reminds me every day, and I feel like I’m motivating and inspiring my brothers and sisters. I want them to see that we can do this—that we’re allowed to go to college and have the same opportunities as everyone else.”

The second-youngest of five children, Rubiera, is majoring in criminology, law and society, with aspirations of becoming a criminal defense attorney. Due to graduate in spring 2026, she chose George Mason not only for its criminology program, but also for its diversity. This fall, Rubiera is among the many new faces on the Fairfax Campus and is notably the first ADVANCE MVP student to transfer to George Mason after completing two years at community college.

“Alizé is an MVP trailblazer,” said Rita Alcala, associate director of the Office of Community College Partnerships at George Mason. “Her story and recent transition to George Mason underscore the ADVANCE Program’s importance and its ongoing impact through its extended partnerships. With clear academic pathways, coaching support, and streamlined admissions and matriculation processes, ADVANCE and its partners help make a bachelor’s degree more accessible to community college students across Virginia.”

Rubiera’s story is common among Virginia community college students seeking a better life, as 64% of ADVANCE students identify as first-generation college students.

Currently 60 students are enrolled in the ADVANCE MVP Program across its five extended partner institutions, outside of the flagship institution partnership with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), with more students expected to enroll this coming academic year. George Mason officials expect at least one more ADVANCE MVP extended partnership student to transition to its Fairfax Campus in Spring 2025.

Overall, 66% of Virginia Community College System students now have access to ADVANCE at their respective community colleges.

Rubiera credits her ADVANCE advisor, Dana Brantley, for being invaluable support throughout the transfer process. “She was always reliable whenever I needed guidance,” Rubiera said. “Having an advisor who is available when you’re unsure or confused is crucial, and Dana was always there for me.”

It all started with an unexpected e-mail nearly a year ago. “That e-mail provided me an opportunity that I am extremely grateful for,” Rubiera said.

Learn more about ADVANCE

Explore the growing list of ADVANCE pathways for community college students

Topics

Students

Mason Virginia Promise

ADVANCE

first-generation

Strategic Direction

George Mason team creates augmented reality campus tour for transfer students

sbrown79 — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 18:03:10 +0000

George Mason team creates augmented reality campus tour for transfer students sbrown79 Thu, 07/18/2024 - 14:03

A team from 91�� is using augmented reality (AR) to create a smartphone app that will provide first-generation ADVANCE students with a virtual tour of the Fairfax Campus as they prepare to transfer from Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA).

ADVANCE is a collaborative effort between George Mason and Virginia’s community colleges to create a seamless pathway for students’ transfer to a four-year institution.

Kelly Schrum. Photo provided.

The AR project is co-directed by Kelly Schrum, a professor in George Mason’s Higher Education Program in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Graziella Pagliarulo McCarron, an associate professor in the School of Integrative Studies.

The app, created using ARway, will provide students with interactive GPS tracking and indoor visual positioning through a geolocation feature, directing students to their location as they travel from point A to point B.

“One of the things this tool does really well is, if you say, ‘I’d like to find the gender-neutral bathroom,’ or ‘I would like to take the elevator,’ or ‘I would like to find disability services,’ you can select it from the directory, and it’ll basically hold your hand and guide you the whole way there,” said Schrum.

The team is focusing on the four floors in Student Union Building (SUB) I, which houses on-campus student support services including the Mason Student Services Center, Student Health Services, Student Success Coaching, and many more. Each floor gets a separate AR map, Pagliarulo McCarron said. After they map SUB I, Pagliarulo McCarron said they will start work on Fenwick Library and then the Johnson Center.

The app is funded by grants from George Mason’s Office of the Provost and 4-VA@Mason, which receives funding from the state to build collaborations across institutions as well as create new technologies that promote first-generation student transfer pathways to higher education.

Graziella Pagliarulo McCarron. Photo provided.

Representatives from the First-Gen+ Center and undergrad, graduate, and PhD students are researching the common challenges transfer students face, including the need to find community, to incorporate those aspects into the app.

“Kelly and I talked a lot about possible tangible resources that would help create a stronger connection to George Mason for our students,” said Janette Muir, vice provost for academic affairs.

The team conducting the technology and digital humanities-based research includes many who are first in their family to go to college.

“Throughout this process, we learned that students felt disconnected and disoriented when they didn’t know how the campus was laid out,” said Muir, who is also director of the 4-VA@Mason program. “With the work that this team is doing, we could decrease that anxiety and help students access the services that are available to them.”

ADVANCE students currently attending NOVA are testing the app and providing feedback to the team.

In addition to student testers, ADVANCE has provided the team with aggregate data of qualitative and quantitative feedback received directly from students through an Ask an ADVANCE Student Ambassador forum on the program’s Canvas course. This information helps the program identify what students are most focused on throughout through transfer journey and time in ADVANCE.

“My hope with providing that additional data is to help narrow down what should be covered in the tours and what could be helpful to incorporate into the app,” said Jason Dodge, the executive director of community college partnerships at George Mason.

Mariya Khan. Photo provided.

“The AR campus tour and ADVANCE both highlight that transfer is not the responsibility of a single office, but that it takes a collective of folks across the university in order to pull something like that off,” said Dodge.

Schrum said several students from the graduate course HE 703 Higher Education in the Digital Age are working on the project. Team instructional designer Mariya Khan gave an in-person interactive presentation on AR and gamification to the class.

“Kelly saw how the AR I used in my presentation could be infused into what she envisioned for this project,” said Khan, who works in the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning.

“I’m a first-generation American, so I understand why projects like this are important,” Khan added. “It would be super helpful to students who want to feel more engaged and like they’re part of something.”

Veronica Visser. Photo provided.

Veronica Visser, a master’s student in higher education and leadership, has been a part of the project since its inception.

“As a first-gen international student, sometimes it can feel like you just go to campus, go to your lecture, and then you go back home,” said Visser, who is from Paraguay. “But with resources like the AR app, you learn that there are people available to help you with your resume, to help you with time management, getting your Mason [ID] card, or other resources that will make you a better student and person.”

The team will conduct a second round of user testing on the app this summer.

“Although we are focusing on first-gen transfer students for now, the project has a lot of potential to expand to other underrepresented minorities, and we’re excited to explore that,” said Schrum.

Take a look at the app in action

Currently this augmented reality experience is only mapped for Student Union Building I. The Johnson Center and Fenwick Library are both on the list to receive a similar AR map.

Topics

George Mason scientists explore adhesives to advance preservation of historical texts

ckearney — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 18:49:44 +0000

George Mason scientists explore adhesives to advance preservation of historical texts ckearney Thu, 07/11/2024 - 14:49

What does science have to do with the conservation of historical texts? Everything.

Doctoral student Rocío Prisby. Photo provided

Rocío Prisby, a biosciences doctoral student at 91��, led the first comprehensive analysis of proteins found within wheat starch-based and flour-based pastes used in historic texts.

This study produced a working database for historians to cross-reference for their own samples that will ultimately result in greater understanding of the evolution of adhesives, while also providing a starting point to determine the best conservation practices for bookbinding and paper conservation.

Each sample tells a story—someone in the 1500s mixing flour, water, and milk in a large bowl to create a paste that binds paper; another in the 1600s hoping to improve their glue’s viscosity with a dash of egg. But each story is different, and the uncertainty in these mixtures reinforces the need for a central database to aid in historical research.

“We still don’t know when in human history people stopped mixing flour and water and shifted to starches,” said Prisby, who also has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from George Mason. “So, you can’t make any assumptions for what a book’s glue makeup might be.”

Prisby worked alongside George Mason researchers Alessandra Luchini and Lance Liotta of the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, as well as Caroline Solazzo from the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute. Their study, published in the Journal of Proteome Research, involved extracting wheat proteins from three small leather cover samples obtained from the National Library of Medicine.

Photo by Getty Images

Their methodology sought to establish a protocol capable of identifying wheat proteins, along with collagen and other proteins commonly found in leather and adhesives. The results were then compared to a database containing collagen proteins from various sources like cattle, sheep, goats, and chicken eggs, as well as wheat proteins from common wheat.

Analysis of historical samples indicates a shift away from using whole wheat for glue production towards the use of starch-based glues. This transition has led to a noticeable decrease in protein content, as the starch extraction process significantly reduces the protein levels in the final product.

Consequently, samples containing starch-based glue exhibit considerably lower protein concentrations compared to those containing traditional wheat-based glue. Environmental conditions and extraction techniques also influence protein composition. Prisby said understanding the chemical changes in wheat-based adhesives is crucial for conservation and restoration practices, particularly in comprehending the degradation of samples over time.

The study’s researchers suggest that further investigation into wheat pastes and other plant-based adhesives should consider a diverse array of factors, including preparation methods, additives, aging processes, and the extensive variety and composition of the raw materials used.

A native of Argentina, Prisby (formerly Cornero) began her chemistry studies at a local university before moving to the United States. She continued her studies at Northern Virginia Community College and was in the first ADVANCE cohort to transfer to George Mason.

Prisby began researching proteins as an undergraduate in the College of Science’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP). In that early research, she studied the proteins in honey to monitor the health of the local environment while also seeking to identify a biomarker that might detect and diagnose diseases in honey bees.

It was through that project that Prisby met Luchini and became interested in her lab’s work in proteomics.

“Dr. Luchini is a great mentor. She dedicates so much time to her students,” said Prisby. “It doesn’t matter what knowledge or experience level you’re at, she meets you where you are.”

When Prisby graduated from George Mason with her undergraduate degree in chemistry, it was Luchini who encouraged her to pursue a PhD in Biosciences.

Join the Mason Nation

Topics

Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)

91��’s College of Education and Human Development partners with NOVA and Loudoun County Public Schools on new Lab School

ckearney — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 19:32:59 +0000

91��’s College of Education and Human Development partners with NOVA and Loudoun County Public Schools on new Lab School ckearney Mon, 04/29/2024 - 15:32

The Virginia Board of Education has approved funding for 91�� to launch the Accelerated College and Employability Skills (ACCESS) Academy, a collaborative partnership with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS). This lab school will be based inside K-12 public schools as part of shared goals to increase pathways for students from high school to college and on to high-demand careers.

Photo provided

“George Mason is making bold steps toward creating different pathways for all students through these partnerships with K-12 and community colleges to ensure access to higher education and high-demand, well-compensated careers,” said Dean Ingrid Guerra-López of George Mason’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD). “Our focus on innovative, problem-based learning and skills needed for the future workforce will ensure students have robust wrap-around supports all the way through their education and early careers to build a better future for themselves and their communities.”

Based in Loudoun County Public Schools supporting 9th-12th grades, ACCESS Academy will incorporate employability skills, innovative teaching and learning methods, and experiences co-designed with industry partners, researchers, and instructional faculty. ACCESS Academy will have direct on-ramps for 11th and 12th grade students, and phased-in lab school preparation during 9th and 10th grades.

“We’re excited to partner with George Mason and NOVA to increase access to unique learning opportunities for our students,” said LCPS Superintendent Aaron Spence. “ACCESS Academy will provide innovative educational experiences for students that will lead to certifications and two- and four-year degrees, as well as support students with access to high-demand and well-compensated jobs in the information technology fields. We have heard loud and clear from our community that our students need alternative pathways to college. And this is just one way we are getting them there."

Academy students in grades 9 and 10 will focus on completion of high school graduation requirements including English, social studies, math, and science. They will begin to develop employability skills through teaching, learning, and curriculum innovations that leverage other existing programs in students’ base schools. They also will be introduced to problem-based learning through focused activities that include guided practice and support the development of problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, systems thinking, and research skills.

ACCESS Academy is rooted in transdisciplinary collaboration harnessing a broad range of faculty expertise to design and deliver the curriculum. This learning ecosystem of faculty from George Mason’s CEHD and Information Technology Program, NOVA, and LCPS, as well as business and industry leaders, will create a replicable model for student success.

Researchers and industry partners will also work side by side with ACCESS students as part of a new Learning Innovation Lab, where teaching and learning innovations will be applied, evaluated, adapted, and disseminated. The Learning Innovation Lab will become a training ground for current and future educators as teacher candidates, in-service teachers, and faculty across a wide range of disciplines, including Information Technology. It will also expand evidence-based education research and talent development best practices for educational leaders, instructional systems designers, and policymakers, as well as industry and community partners.

NOVA Vice President of Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer Eun-Woo Chang said, “NOVA is excited to join this partnership to help students develop employability skills through an innovative curriculum that leverages our extensive dual enrollment program with high schools in the Northern Virginia region, especially with LCPS. Students will be immersed in activities designed to cultivate essential skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and research skills.”

The expanded partnership with NOVA is part of the Mason Virginia Promise, which helps create a pathway to a bachelor’s degree for every Virginian who wants one. George Mason and NOVA’s flagship ADVANCE Program is designed to augment the transfer experience for community college students pursuing a bachelor's degree by removing common barriers and providing early support in their educational journey.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed the partnership agreements with colleges and universities to establish K-12 lab schools in January 2022.

Topics

Campus News

College of Education and Human Development

Mason Virginia Promise

ADVANCE

Strategic Direction

From public health crisis volunteer to College of Public Health graduate

sbrown79 — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 19:22:40 +0000

From public health crisis volunteer to College of Public Health graduate sbrown79 Mon, 04/15/2024 - 15:22

Sinoxolo “Susan” Favor was doing public health work in her native South Africa long before she enrolled in the College of Public Health at 91��.

Susan Favor. Photo provided.

Between 2009 and 2010, HIV and AIDS infection rates were very high in South Africa, she said, so she began doing outreach and volunteer work at her school to educate others. Favor also volunteered at the South Africa Department of Health, where her mother is a nurse practitioner.

“My school would go out and work with the community,” said Favor. “I didn't really know what public health was, until I started this work [and realized] that my whole life I've been living in a public health crisis.”

Now Favor is graduating from this spring with a BS in community health from the first college of public health in Virginia.

Favor came to United States in 2014 and worked for almost 10 years, mainly in health care, before going to Northern Virginia Community College for two years and transferring into Mason through the ADVANCE Program.

What’s your best memory at Mason?

I've been working at the Office of Student Affairs [in the College of Public Health] where I meet a lot of students who call in for help. I think my best memories are getting those calls and then giving them the help that they need. I think about how, as a student, I would want to be helped. If I came into this office, I want to leave here with solutions for my problems. It’s the best thing every day when students walk in asking questions, and I'm able to give them answers.

What is your best piece of advice for incoming students?

Find yourself a good friend who's doing the same program and will help you through it. It's good to have somebody that can relate to you and understand what you’re going through. I have that one friend, and we are going through this process together. Also take advantage of all the opportunities presented. Mason has a lot of opportunities like scholarships to apply for; call all the offices and ask questions. There's never a dumb question, and there's a solution for every problem.

What’s next for you?

I’ll be coming back to Mason in the future. [I’m getting] a master's degree in global health through Mason’s Bachelor’s to Accelerated Master’s Program. I hope to work with USAID Project Management Specialists on HIV and AIDS treatments and preventions, especially with young girls in South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and all of the southern hemisphere of Africa. I want to make sure they have the information they need about reproduction and sexual health. Education is key; it’s the best prevention.

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Student Spotlight

Mason pilots eight local high school partnerships for university-managed Direct Admissions Program

ckearney — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 19:28:12 +0000

Mason pilots eight local high school partnerships for university-managed Direct Admissions Program ckearney Mon, 10/23/2023 - 15:28

91�� announced the first series of direct admissions partnerships with eight Northern Virginia high schools. The goal of the pilot is to directly reach students who are academically eligible to Mason but may be experiencing challenges in pursuing higher education.

Wilkins Plaza on the Fairfax Campus. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

More than 1,100 eligible (3.25 GPA or higher) students from partner high schools in Fairfax County, Alexandria, Manassas, and Manassas Park were emailed admission eligibility offers directly from Mason, waiving requirements for application fees, teacher recommendations, and essays. Mason has also offered direct admissions to thousands of students through the Common App Direct Admissions Program.

The first year Mason offered direct admission through the Common App was in January 2022 to 2,000 students. Of those offered, 232 students accepted and applied for fall 2022, 39 students submitted deposits, and 32 enrolled. Of those, 59% were underrepresented minorities, 37% were first generation, and 20% were residents of rural communities. Their collective GPA was 3.65. The top five majors for those students were computer science, engineering, biology, cybersecurity, and neuroscience.

“Mason’s longstanding commitment to achieve inclusive excellence has paved the way for more students to consider and enter college,” said David Burge, Mason’s vice president for enrollment management. “While colleges around the country are just starting their direct admissions programs to counter declining enrollments, Mason historically has eliminated barriers to higher education through partnerships and several pathway programs, like our multifaced approach to direct admissions.”

Direct admissions is one of many programs that Mason has in place to engage potential students, along with the Early Identification Program, local partnerships with K-12 schools, and the ADVANCE partnership with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). ADVANCE had another record-breaking enrollment period, with 938 new students, a 5% increase from last year. Mason also has entered into transfer partnerships with Germanna, Tidewater, and Piedmont Virginia community colleges through the Mason Virginia Promise.

This fall, Mason became the first public university in the state to top 40,000 students. A record 16.5% of Virginia high school seniors applied to Mason, and 28% of freshmen entered with a 4.0 GPA or higher, while 71% entered with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Read more about Mason's Fall 2023 enrollment numbers

In This Story

David Burge, MSE

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