Fairfax County Public Schools

Education Careers Week brings jobs, inspiration to George Mason’s future educators

ckearney — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:43:51 +0000

Education Careers Week brings jobs, inspiration to George Mason’s future educators ckearney Wed, 04/29/2026 - 14:43

Educators are in high demand, and the field offers myriad avenues for job seekers to explore. Given that demand and the diverse career opportunities, University Career Services (UCS) at 91�� expanded its annual Education Recruitment Day into a full week of programming in February. Education Careers Week featured a week of career exploration, collaboration, and learning for students interested in teaching, human development, or careers working with children.

Designed for the George Mason community to make connections and explore evolving career paths, the week included workshops, panels, a networking mixer, and a visit to Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), the ninth-largest school district in the nation. The week also featured an on-campus recruitment track, giving students the chance to interview directly with education employers. At least four students who participated received job offers.

Education Careers Week concluded with a site visit to the FCPS Gatehouse Administration Center in Falls Church, Virginia. Photo provided

The week concluded with a site visit to the FCPS Gatehouse Administration Center in Falls Church, Virginia. The first-of-its-kind collaboration between George Mason and FCPS gave students an inside look at one of the nation’s largest school systems. Participants met with administrative and human resources professionals to learn about hiring timelines, interview strategies, and professional development programs such as the Great Beginnings Summer Institute, a four-day professional learning opportunity for teachers new to FCPS. The visit provided a clear view of the many roles—both inside and beyond the classroom—that drive a vibrant public school community.

“I loved learning about the different career paths and trajectories,” said graduate student Jia Liu, who is working on a master’s in social work. “There was no linear path, which I thought was interesting and inspiring.”

Throughout the week, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni lent their time and expertise as panelists and moderators, providing students with firsthand insight into education as both a calling and a career. Alumni from the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) Alumni Chapter helped moderate sessions, highlighting the lasting connection between graduates and current students.

“The George Mason community came together to make Education Careers Week a success,” said Saskia Campbell, UCS executive director. “That collaboration made it possible to expand our programming and networking opportunities for students.”

Event attendees represented many of the university’s schools and colleges, spanning majors in education, business, government, STEM, and more. Half of the attendees were graduate students, indicating that the education sector attracts talent from across disciplines and at every stage of career development.

“I decided to attend Education Careers Week to gather information about the type of education career I wanted to pursue,” said graduate student Valeria Alejandra Reyes-Chain, who is working on a school psychology degree. “I gained valuable insights that guided me throughout the job application process.”

Education Careers Week highlighted that career growth is about continuous learning. From student teaching to leadership, each experience builds toward a career that can evolve across roles, grade levels, and even industries.

Additionally, it served as an important reminder that community makes the difference. Students, alumni, and partners supported each other in the pursuit of meaningful work, demonstrating George Mason’s culture of shared purpose. No matter your major, experience level, or background, a career in education is a way to make a difference in the world.

Topics

University Career Services

University Life

College of Education and Human Development

Fairfax County Public Schools

Students

Outdoor learning at Burke Lake shows students science career pathways

sholla4 — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 14:42:18 +0000

Outdoor learning at Burke Lake shows students science career pathways sholla4 Mon, 01/26/2026 - 09:42

Cynthia "Cindy" Smith (left) works with one of the seventh grade students. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Down at the shores of Burke Lake, seventh-grade students squeal in delight and disgust. They've found a collection of invertebrates under a rock. Their field interpreter—a 91�� student—gathers them around to take a closer look and identify what they see. Nearby, another group of students takes water samples. Another group measures the soil compaction around the mossy roots of a tree.

For some of these Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) students, it’s the first time they’ve been to Burke Lake. Some didn’t know it existed at all, despite being in their proverbial backyards. But through the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) program, FCPS students get the chance to do hands-on learning outdoors.

Developed as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program and Chesapeake Bay Program, MWEEs increase environmental literacy through hands-on experience in indoor and outdoor classrooms. Since 2010, George Mason environmental science and policy professor Cynthia Smith has worked with FCPS and Fairfax County Park Authority to develop and support her students in delivering MWEEs in waterfront park locations around the county. In her role as outreach director for the Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC), Smith integrates PEREC aquatic ecology research into these programs.

The program is an extension of the FCPS seventh-grade life science curriculum, bringing students out of their classroom labs and into the field to gain hands-on experience. With support and guidance from field interpreters, the students move through different stations to learn about the history of development around the lake, test the water chemistry, investigate invertebrate habitats, measure soil erosion and compaction, and examine biodiversity living amongst the trees and leaf litter to gather a holistic look at the health of their local watershed. The data they record during their field excursion is further investigated in the classroom.

George Mason student and field interpreter Deena Chouaf (right) and one of the seventh grade students. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

“We’re looking at the human impact on the land and how it impacts the water,” Smith explained. “But instead of just hearing a lecture on it, the students are immersed in the environment. When you see it, touch it, measure it, and talk about why you’re doing it, then the learning is just so much more impactful, and you become more invested in protecting and preserving it.”

Smith recruits George Mason students to serve as the field interpreters, giving them an opportunity to practice their science communication skills in a real-world setting. “They’re explaining challenging concepts to young learners, encouraging them to engage with the data they’ve collected, helping them learn through inquiry," Smith explained. “I’ve seen so many students evolve into incredible leaders and communicators through their experiences as field interpreters.”

“I had never had a job where I had to speak in front of people, and I really couldn’t do it at all when I started,” said Matt Helfinstein, BS Biology ’12. He worked as a field interpreter throughout his time at George Mason. “But I was able to develop those science communication skills and get much more comfortable with it.”

Now, Helfinstein is camp director of Fish and Explore—a company that offers guided outdoor experiences and summer camps—and continues to work with Smith as the MWEE site manager. Helfinstein met the owner of the company while serving as a field interpreter, which opened the door to his future career.

"We have students go into policy, environmental science, science communication, as well as working for our partners like the Park Authority or Fish and Explore,” said Smith. “Translating science to the public opens up so many opportunities for them that they never thought possible.”

George Mason student and field interpreter Angelina Seehusan. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

It’s an important opportunity for the middle school students as well. “This is the first time some of them have ever met a college student working outdoors in a park setting,” Smith explained. Because of this, she has her field interpreters introduce themselves not just as George Mason students, but with their expected career paths: freshwater ecologist, marine biologist, environmental scientist, etc.

“They hear about all these different career fields and areas of study in science, they get excited. They routinely ask field interpreters what they have to do to pursue that same career,” said Smith.

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement put forth a new goal in 2025 of increasing elementary, middle, and high school student participation in MWEEs, working toward 75% of public school students enrolled in a school district with MWEEs by 2040.

In 2016, Smith and her collaborators in FCPS and the Fairfax County Park Authority received a Jack Wood Award for Town-Gown Relations in the category of Partnership Initiative for their work. Ten years ago, they had served over 25,000 seventh graders throughout the county. Now, Smith estimates PEREC outreach programs reach more than 10,000 students a year. And more and more, she’s seeing those students enroll at George Mason and become field interpreters themselves.

“Sometimes just seeing one cool thing is life-changing,” Smith said.

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

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