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George Mason is fighting food insecurity, one Empty Bowl at a time

Sarah Holland — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 16:37:51 +0000

George Mason is fighting food insecurity, one Empty Bowl at a time Sarah Holland Mon, 04/07/2025 - 12:37

If you’re taking a bowl home from a party, most people leave with leftovers in hand. But at George Mason �鶹��’s annual Empty Bowls event, the guests leave with just that: a handmade, and very empty, ceramic bowl.

Bowl selection at the inaugural Mason empty Bowls in 2024. Photo provided

Empty Bowls is a global grassroots movement to support food-related charities and educate people on issues of poverty and hunger in their local communities. At Empty Bowls events, guests give a donation in exchange for a handmade ceramic bowl and a simple soup meal, leaving the event with an empty bowl as a reminder of how many people go without food in the local community.

The idea of Empty Bowls at George Mason started in the least surprising of places: a pottery studio.

Maggie Daniels, professor of tourism and events management in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), and Lauren Long, executive director of Student Involvement, share a love for pottery. Both of them are long-time potters at Manassas Clay. Together, Daniels and Long decided to bring Empty Bowls to George Mason, in support of the Food and Housing Insecurity Fund through the Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC).

In order for students to succeed, their basic needs must be met, including stable housing, physical safety, and access to food. The SSAC was started to help connect students with resources as they face life challenges, including ensuring their basic needs are fulfilled. The Food and Housing Insecurity Fund, a donor-generated fund, supports this work.

“About one-third of all college students have experienced some type of food insecurity in the past year,” explained Margaret Olszewska, director of the SSAC. “Food insecurity covers a wide spectrum of situations in which a person lacks consistent access to nutritionally adequate and safe food. It ranges from not eating healthy food due to lack of resources, to missing entire meals.”

The fund supports students at all levels of food insecurity through various programs and resources. In 2024 in collaboration with Sodexo, SSAC distributed 2,400 meal swipes for George Mason on-campus dining halls and had 818 unique users of the Patriot Pantry. Starting in fall semester, a new partnership with Capital Area Food Bank offered students a digital purchasing card so they could buy perishable foods at their local grocery stores. The fund also contributes to helping students find temporary housing on campus in the event of a sudden loss of shelter or safe living situation.

Long and Daniels were determined to make a no-cost event so 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales and the silent auction could go to the fund. Hosted in the Center for the Arts, guests enjoy a soup meal and dessert, music by Green and Gold Soul, and a silent auction with items from local vendors. Everything is donated, so every cent can go directly to the fund.

"The Center for the Arts and Student Involvement are great partners throughout the year, and this is one of our favorite collaborations,” said Julie Thompson, executive director for the Center for the Arts.

Mason Dining contractor Sodexo, the caterer for the event, created a soup menu to reflect warmth, comfort, and inclusivity with locally sourced ingredients and a range of options for different dietary concerns. “Empty Bowls aligns perfectly with Sodexo’s mission to fight food insecurity and support sustainable food initiatives,” said Jenita Thurston, district manager for Sodexo.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the evening is the bowl selection. Each guest gets to take home a handmade ceramic bowl, crafted and donated by potters at Manassas Clay and other studios around Northern Virginia. From small teacups to large serving dishes in a rainbow of different glazes and finishes, there’s a bowl for everyone, and all of them are microwave, dishwasher, and oven safe.

“What’s really special about Empty Bowls is that this grassroots event was born out of the care and concern of our own George Mason community members,” said Olszewska. “It’s one of many examples of how our faculty and staff care about the students we serve beyond just our jobs.”

“For a CEHD faculty member and a �鶹�� Life director to come together, to be innovative and creative in order to meet the needs of our students, is really at the core of what makes George Mason such an incredible place,” said Long.

Daniels agreed. “It showcases the best of who we are at George Mason.”

Get tickets to the 2025 George Mason Empty Bowls event.

Mason Empty Bowls 2025

Learn more about the Student Support and Advocacy Center

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Campus News

Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC)

�鶹�� Life

Mason Empty Bowls

Center for the Arts

Patriot Pantry

Capital Area Food Bank

Sodexo

A collaborative solution to culinary career challenges

Sarah Holland — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 14:29:31 +0000

A collaborative solution to culinary career challenges Sarah Holland Tue, 03/25/2025 - 10:29

One of the best parts of any town is its local food. But in the aftermath of COVID-19 lockdowns, keeping local restaurants alive and thriving requires a new approach.

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of �鶹�� Branding

In partnership with the City of Fairfax, Town of Vienna, and the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging, and Travel Association Foundation (VRLTAF), George Mason is working on a solution: the Culinary Careers Collaborative (CCC) is a workforce development project to get restaurant workers the foundational skills they need to succeed.

Jai Girard, director of education and workforce development for the VRLTAF, explained that the restaurant industry has often struggled with recruitment and retention. “The challenge has intensified in recent years,” she said. Hospitality employees who were laid off during the lockdowns found jobs in other industries. Business travelers, who were a significant market for Northern Virginia restaurants, have not returned to the pre-2020 numbers. And with growing competition from the gig economy, restaurants are struggling to recruit and retain their staff.

As restaurants face growing challenges, the City of Fairfax and Town of Vienna wanted to find a solution.

“This is a challenge that transcends jurisdictional borders,” said Ashley Curtis, marketing and business engagement specialist for the Town of Vienna. "Hungry diners aren’t thinking about where the city starts and the town begins: They’re just enjoying the food. We have a shared goal to support the places our residents and visitors love to eat.”

“We knew we needed partners who could bring expertise in hospitality and restaurant management, so we looked to George Mason and VRLTAF,” said Tara Borwey, assistant director of programs for Fairfax City Economic Development. George Mason has one of the only hospitality degree programs in the area.

“We’re all in such close proximity to one another, and therefore we all have a vested interest in maintaining a strong relationship and improving our shared community,” she said.

Using feedback from restaurant owners around Fairfax City and Town of Vienna, the team developed three tracks: beginning culinary skills, beverage skills, and advanced management. Each track totals 24 credit hours taken over four days. Fairfax City and the Town of Vienna fully funded the programs so they are completely free for participants.

Students practice during the beverage skills track. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of �鶹�� Branding

“Partnerships between universities and local communities are essential for creating meaningful workforce development,” said Min Park, associate professor in the Tourism and �鶹�� Management program in the College of Education and Human Development. “These partnerships ensure that training programs are academically sound and aligned with workforce demands.”

The beginning culinary skills track and beverage skills track are designed to build foundational skills for industry newcomers. Culinary students learn fundamental cooking techniques and knife skills; beverage students learned how to mix cocktails and pair wines; both tracks include instruction in hygiene and sanitation protocols, service management skills, regulation compliance, and operational strategies.

Students learn skills that will put them in a stronger starting position and get the chance to see if this industry is the right fit without risk for either the student or the restaurant losing a job or an employee.

“Retention is just as important as recruitment,” said Girard. “These tracks remove some of that steep learning curve barrier of these entry-level positions that could scare some people away. They can see if the industry is a good fit for them, while gaining skills that will make them more confident in what can be a stressful environment for someone new and untrained.”

George Mason alumna Sophia Tran, BS Tourism and �鶹�� Management ’22, a current graduate student pursuing a master's in management with a certificate in human resources in the Costello College of Business, took the beverage track and earned the ServSafe certificate and the Beverage Arts certificate. The ServSafe certificate, administered by the National Restaurant Administration, demonstrates an individual’s knowledge of food safety protocols and procedures. “I would highly recommend the track. I learned a lot about the wine and cocktail industries,” she said.

Advanced management track participants and instructors. Photo provided.

The third track—advanced management—is the only track specifically for current industry employees, designed to upskill current or potential leaders with instruction on managerial theories and practices. The inaugural module ran in July 2024 with 13 participants, taught through a collaboration between a professor of the Tourism and �鶹�� Management program and leading industry practitioners.

“Many of our restaurants are locally owned small businesses, and they don’t usually have resources like this. It’s a DIY mentality, training people on the job,” said Curtis. “But small business is the heartbeat of our region, so being able to support them makes this really special.”

The locations of the tracks vary based on the needs of the curriculum. Dolce Vita Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar in Fairfax City hosted the beverage class, which concluded its first session in January. The beginning culinary track, which will run its inaugural session in June 2025, will use the College of Public Health Nutrition Kitchen in Peterson Hall.

Said Curtis, “Collaborations like this make this region a great place to work, play, learn, and live.”

To register for upcoming tracks, visit the CCC website.

Explore the School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management

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Recreation and Tourism Management

Workforce Development

Learn more about Knack tutoring.

George Mason has a “Knack” for tutoring

Sarah Holland — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 15:04:43 +0000

George Mason has a “Knack” for tutoring Sarah Holland Wed, 02/26/2025 - 10:04

College courses are designed to challenge students and push them to new academic heights. And when dealing with difficult subjects and new materials, additional academic support can make all the difference.

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of �鶹�� Branding

That’s where Knack comes in. Starting in fall 2024, George Mason �鶹�� entered a three-year partnership with Knack, a peer-to-peer tutoring platform. Through Knack, students in any of the 28 participating courses can get up to three hours of free virtual or in-person tutoring from their peers every week during the semester. Participating courses span math, statistics, biology, chemistry, business, economics, and public health.

“We are transforming the support for student success at George Mason by fostering a collaborative learning environment that empowers students to excel academically,” said Vicki Dominick, associate director of George Mason’s Learning Services office, which offers a variety of academic success supports for students, including academic success workshops, online resources and coaching.

Knack does not replace other tutoring services offered by George Mason, Dominick noted. It is an additional resource, allowing more options for meeting times and places. Currently, close to 3,000 students are registered with Knack tutoring, and almost 1,500 tutoring sessions were completed in fall semester.

“This free support is directly in line with George Mason’s mission of access to education,” said Keith Renshaw, senior associate provost for undergraduate education and professor of psychology.

“For my chemistry class, there’s always many students attending office hours, so I don’t get the one-on-one help I need,” said sophomore biology major Khushneet Kaur Kainth. “I’ve been able to get personalized support through Knack.”

There are benefits for the tutors as well. Tutoring through Knack is a paid position, and tutors are required to have passed the class for which they are a tutor with an A- or higher.

“It gives the tutors ‘high impact practice,’ as they gain hands-on experience teaching complex concepts and problem-solving strategies,” explained Renshaw.

Senior biology major Anahita Salehkhou is a tutor for BIOL 213 - Cell Structure and Function, and said of her tutoring experience, “it has given me the perfect opportunity to share my passion for teaching while strengthening my resume as I prepare to apply for dental school. It’s also helping me prepare for the dental admissions test as I get a good refresher on content I’ve already learned and studied.”

Learn more about Knack tutoring

In This Story

Keith Renshaw, PhD

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Undergraduate Education

Strategic Direction

At George Mason basketball game, students ran the show

Sarah Holland — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:16:20 +0000

At George Mason basketball game, students ran the show Sarah Holland Fri, 02/21/2025 - 11:16

Most students at Division 1 universities like George Mason can say they’ve been to at least one sport event. A sold-out football game, a baseball no-hitter, or a Cinderella run at the NCAA Final Four: these games bring the campus together and make core memories for future alumni.

Students from left: Melissa Quinteros, Cody Salenga, and Manahil Piracha. Photo provided.

But while many can say they’ve cheered in the stands, only a handful can say they’ve run the show.

In fall 2024, Donald G. Costello College of Business students had that unique opportunity, leading the marketing and management of the Ferrum vs. George Mason basketball game on November 23.

Mentored by marketing professor Niki Vlastara, assistant director of fan engagement Lily Plizga, and senior marketing and communications director of Costello College of Business Duane Bailey, five students took responsibility for various aspects of the game: from marketing ticket sales to managing check-in to developing a creative timeout game.

For Plizga, the experience was an opportunity to show students the breadth of career possibilities in sports management and marketing. “I found this career because I was a student wage worker with Athletics; I wouldn’t have known about all the opportunities here otherwise,” she said. “So for me, this experience helps showcase all the different paths available to them.”

For Vlastara, it was an opportunity to give students hands-on experience to practice theories and concepts from their coursework. “In event marketing, once the event is done, it’s done; you can’t resell. So, it’s important for the students to have that experience of having one chance to get it right and fill the seats,” Vlastara explained.

George Mason is nationally ranked for internships/co-ops and its graduates report high job success related to their career goals, which underscores its prioritization of experiential learning opportunities like this one.

“I think this experiential part of education is what students are looking for. Projects like this help them really understand where the concepts I’m teaching in class apply,” said Vlastara. “It’s very holistic.”

From left: Melissa Quinteros, Cody Salenga, Dean of Costello College of Business Ajay Vinzé, and Manahil Piracha. Photo provided.

Melissa Quinteros, a senior in Costello, said that this hands-on opportunity challenged her to improve the skills she was developing in her classes and extracurriculars. “Having interpersonal skills and collaborating on projects have always stood out as necessary skills in my marketing and business classes,” she said. “For this, I needed to take those skills and learn what worked when trying to promote an event to attendees. I had to figure out how to be brief while emphasizing what parts of the event would be most interesting to the person I’m talking to. That was a challenge, but I learned so much.”

The students, Bailey said, “jumped in with both feet and smiled the whole way.” They brought ideas not just from the classroom, but also from their own experiences: winter 2024 graduate Cody Salenga, for example, pitched the idea of the timeout game based on a game he saw at an NBA game. According to Plizga, the game was really successful.

Athletics also saw increases in their social media engagement when the students had taken over; Plizga’s data showed more comments and higher views.

“We want students to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves, that extends beyond graduation,” said Bailey, “We want them to invest in George Mason, and experiences like these plant that seed early.”

The team hopes to continue this collaboration next season. “Athletics and the fans were excited by the collaboration. So we hope to keep it going in the fall, maybe make it a big event each year that becomes tradition,” said Plizga. “And I hope that other departments, schools, and colleges see what we did as a baseline for opportunities in the future.”

In This Story

Mariniki (Niki) Vlastara

Learn here, lead anywhere with Costello College of Business

Topics

Athletics

Mason men's basketball

experiential learning

Strategic Direction

Teacher Clothing Closet helps student teaching interns look and feel their best

Sarah Holland — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 19:14:45 +0000

Teacher Clothing Closet helps student teaching interns look and feel their best Sarah Holland Mon, 02/10/2025 - 14:14

One late fall evening, two rooms in George Mason �鶹��’s Merten Hall were transformed from basic conference rooms to a designer runway.

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of �鶹�� Branding

Student and alumni volunteers from the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), Mason LIFE, and a local Girl Scout troop modeled themed fashions and assistive devices on the catwalk. Backstage, EDSE Council treasurer Shauna Stacks, a senior, and current EDSE president Emily Hulett, a junior, curled hair, contoured cheekbones, and dabbed eyeshadow onto the models.

It was a fashion show unlike anything CEHD has seen, ending with the ribbon cutting and grand opening of the Teacher Clothing Closet, a free resource for teacher interns to get professional clothing. It’s the first major service project of the EDSE Council—a new student organization named after the course code for special education courses, created to foster a supportive, inclusive community within the special education program at George Mason.

The EDSE Council’s faculty facilitator Sharon Ray, associate professor of special education, first brought the idea of a clothing closet to the council. “I spoke with several faculty members about how students struggle with resources, specifically professional clothing resources,” she said. “The council was interested in doing a fashion show, and I thought a service-oriented project like a clothing closet would be a good companion to the event.”

Clothing expectations for teachers vary. A first-grade teacher, for example, needs clothing that is professional and modest without being restrictive so they can move quickly and freely. A high school teacher might need attire that is more business casual. And the culture of each school influences their dress code, whether as unspoken rules or written guidelines.

Many students, when starting their internships, lack adequate professional attire and the costs to buy a new wardrobe are often greater than they can afford.

“Because you’re essentially in the classroom for 40 hours a week, most interns end up needing to quit the jobs they’ve had to pay for college or take reduced hours at them. So your resources are already limited,” said Lydia Kraiger, previous EDSE Council president and current senior. “Then you’re in the classroom, and your clothes are getting tugged on, things are spilled on you...buying $70 pants that just get ruined isn’t reasonable for us."

Even just among the council members, the cost of clothing is a major hurdle. Council secretary and senior Emily Ritter said that she has two outfits she rotates throughout the week. Hulett said she only has one.

“I don’t have another option,” she said.

Thrifting has been helpful to some in the past, but even that comes with barriers. Students spend hours hunting for items that are in good condition, fit well, fulfill the expectations of the school, and meet the needs of their job. And for some, there’s an emotional hurdle as well.

“It can be embarrassing for some people,” said Hulett. “They don't want to have to go to Goodwill and have people see them have to buy those clothes because they can't afford anything else.”

“One of the things we learn in our classes is culturally responsive teaching: how to teach students from different backgrounds and experiences,” said Joshua Mills, EDSE Council vice president and current junior. “And that includes meeting student needs through knowing what resources can help and advocating when we see a gap.”

The council agrees that this foundational philosophy extends to their colleagues.

Led by EDSE Council secretary and “closet keeper” Claire Johnson, a junior, the council curates the closet selection by reviewing each piece donated before they go on the racks. They’ve made sure there are a variety of sizes and styles available, and everything in the closet is teacher approved. Any clothing that is considered too casual is re-donated to the Transgender Clothing Closet hosted by the LGBTQ+ Resources Center.

Lydia Kraiger, left, and Claire Johnson look through the clothes in the closet. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of �鶹�� Branding

Students who wish to use the closet fill out an online form with their availability. One of the students from the club will confirm their appointment and meet them at the closet. Like a personal shopper, club members are happy to help their closet patrons find what they’re looking for among the racks and provide feedback on how things fit and if the piece will work for their classroom needs.

The space is small, but bright; well–organized without feeling overcrowded, with clothing racks, organizational bins, and hangers thrifted from local marketplaces and faculty donations. It smells clean and fresh. It’s easy to imagine a student walking into the closet and feeling a renewed sense of empowerment and confidence.

“I’m just really impressed with all they’ve been able to accomplish and the support they’ve received from the community,” said Ray.

“And it speaks to George Mason’s commitment to education for everyone.”

To donate clothing, please reach out to Sharon Ray at sray4@gmu.edu.

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College of Education and Human Development Division of Special Education and disAbility Research

Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities

Mason LIFE Program

Checking in to a “suite” internship with Marriott International

Sarah Holland — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 14:34:55 +0000

Checking in to a “suite” internship with Marriott International Sarah Holland Wed, 01/15/2025 - 09:34

When business major Kyle Samuel went to George Mason �鶹��’s Fall 2023 Career Fair with a list of companies to speak with, he didn’t realize he would land an internship that would kickstart his career.

With a legacy connection to Marriott hotels through his father, who worked for Marriott at the property level, a chat with the Marriott representative led to securing a competitive spot as a finance HQ intern with Marriott International.

Now, in addition to completing a summer internship with Marriott, Samuel is working part-time for the hotel company and making plans to return in summer 2025 for a second internship.

Kyle Samuel (left) with Marriott founder's grandson, David Marriott. Photo provided.

Why did you choose George Mason?

There are a couple of reasons why. First, it’s close to home and within my culture we try to live with our parents even after we’re 18. So that was important to me. Affordability was a major aspect, too, because staying home saves some tuition. George Mason’s Costello College of Business is also great and well-established, especially compared to other schools in the region.

What inspired your interest in finance?

In junior year of high school, one of my uncles recommended the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. And that opened my eyes to how much personal finance matters in your life. I started reading more, like The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success by William N. Thorndike, Jr., and my interest just took off from there.

How did you find out about the internship at Marriott?

Through the career fair at George Mason. I went into the fair with notes about each company I was interested in, and Marriott was on the list. I spoke with the representative, and we really connected. She told me about the internship—I didn’t know that Marriott offered internships—and she recommended that I apply.

It’s funny, whenever someone asks me about the career fair, I tell them I have a 100% track record, because I went to one fair and got an internship from it!

What did you do during your summer internship with Marriott?

Some of my major projects were conducting reviews of around 50 capital expenditure budgets from Marriott Select brands to ensure compliance and accuracy, checking the integrity and translation of data from Excel sheets to visualizations, and helping a senior manager send out revenue share allocations to select brand owners.

I also participated in a competition with the other interns where we were given a real-life business challenge that Marriott is facing, and we had to design a potential solution. So we brainstormed ideas for improving Marriott Bonvoy sign-ups among the Gen Z demographic.

One of the things I really appreciated about my internship is that I wasn’t just doing internship work that wouldn’t go anywhere once I was done: I was doing projects with impact.

How have your experiences at George Mason prepared you for your internship?

Many classes gave me the foundations I needed to succeed at my internship. BUS 210 Business I and BUS 310 Business Analytics II were really helpful because it allowed me to strengthen my Excel skills, and BUS 103 has helped improve my professional development skills.

�鶹�� Career Services also played a monumental role. They helped me establish my resume, create my LinkedIn profile, and prepare for the interview with Marriott.

Kyle Samuel (right) with Anthony Capuano, current CEO of Marriott. Photo provided

What would you say is the importance of an internship?

School does prepare you for the workplace, but there’s really no substitute for actually experiencing a workplace. Understanding office culture, learning the hierarchies, networking; you can only really learn those soft skills through being in the workplace. And networking is so valuable. I’ve had a meeting with the CEO of Marriott because I was able to network with the former intern, who connected me to the right people.

Where do you hope to be in ten years?

My long-term goal is to become the CFO of Marriott. I’m minoring in real estate, so working for Marriott combines my interest in finance with my interest in real estate. I love the culture; I feel like they really put people first and work together as a team. And there’s a lot of potential for them to grow in the future.

George Mason is Virginia's best for interships

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George Mason’s recreation program is helping bring parks to the people

Sarah Holland — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 18:12:27 +0000

George Mason’s recreation program is helping bring parks to the people Sarah Holland Wed, 01/08/2025 - 13:12

One of the special things about Northern Virginia is its blend of thriving city life with vast green spaces. Visitors and residents can enjoy more than 12,000 acres of parks and recreation areas across three counties and three cities thanks to the work of NOVA Parks. This fall, a brand-new park opened in Ashburn, Virginia, with a few familiar faces from George Mason �鶹�� at its helm.

Photo provided.

Reservoir Park is a 600-acre park around Beaverdam Reservoir. Built and operated as a partnership between NOVA Parks and Loudoun Water, the park has conservation and education at the forefront of its design. From plants that filter water runoff into the reservoir, to butterfly roofs that drain water down a singular center path onto rocks to avoid excessive soil erosion, to sustainable build materials, the park preserves the landscape while educating visitors on the lifecycle of a drop of water. Educational installations along the trail also give visitors tactile lessons: a hand pump that demonstrates the amount of force required to bring water from the reservoir to a faucet, for example.

“Most parks are built up over time, with facilities developing as community needs change,” said Paul Gilbert, executive director of NOVA Parks and the executive-in-residence of the recreation management program at George Mason. “I've never seen a park like this one, where everything is designed intentionally with a clear purpose and story in mind. It’s both beautiful and thoughtful.”

The benefits of parks are immense: increased property values, opportunities for physical activity, and mental health improvements, to name a few. “Numerous studies show that the benefits of exercise in nature far exceed exercise indoors,” Gilbert said. “It enriches lives, and it will continue to enrich lives, not just for this season but for generations to come.”

For George Mason students, the benefits of NOVA Parks extend to their education and, for some, even their careers.

Paul Gilbert (left) and Bella Trimner. Photo provided.

“There’s a strong connection between NOVA Parks and George Mason,” Gilbert said. “Through NOVA parks, students have access to internships, practicums, and careers. We help make their education not just academic but very actionable. And in return, we get high-quality employees excited to work in the parks they’ve grown up around.”

One shining example is Bella Trimner, a winter 2024 graduate with a degree in recreation management.

Trimner has a long history with NOVA Parks. She started working at Fountainhead Regional Park as a junior park ranger at 17, quickly rising through the ranks to site supervisor. “I absolutely loved it and realized that this was something I could see myself making a career out of,” she said.

Her supervisor at Fountainhead Regional Park David Deem, a current George Mason student, recommended George Mason for her education because of its nationally recognized recreation management program.

When Trimner made the decision to get her degree and make a career out of parks management, she told the park operations superintendents that she hoped to become a parks specialist in the future.

“My plan was to take that role in five years. Instead, when I had that conversation, they said, ‘Well, we’re actually building a new park that will be similar to Fountainhead. It might be exactly what you’re looking for.’”

It was. Within a year, Trimner became the first parks specialist for the new Reservoir Park. Her days are varied—from running chainsaws for trail clearing, to being an ambassador for the park, to planning park programming—but she believes her education has directly impacted how quickly she has acclimated to this new managerial role.

“I have used assignments from my classes as starting points for programming plans and shared templates with my staff. When we formalized the 8-mile trail around the reservoir, I directly referenced what I'd learned about trail planning and grading from my classes on land acquisition, resource management, and accessibility. We’re implementing an interpretational signage plan that is directly influenced by the course taught by Dr. Ellen Rodgers. There’s so much from my courses that I’m using every day in every aspect of my job,” she said.

Trimner, Gilbert said, is a rock star. “When you step into a manager position at an existing park, you’re improving upon existing procedures, programming, and facilities. But as part of the management team of a brand-new park, Bella is creating all those things. We gave her a blank slate to work with. And she’s done an amazing job.”

As a fellow George Mason graduate, Gilbert firmly believes in the great contributions George Mason offers the community. “NOVA Parks relies heavily on the recreation program at George Mason, and it’s great to have such a strong program with great talent right in our backyard,” Gilbert said.

Trimner agreed. “Seeing George Mason on a resume is a green flag for us."

From left: Recreation management faculty Laurence Chalip, Ellen Rodgers, Brenda Wiggins, Hung-Ling Liu, and Sammie Powers pose with Bella Trimner (far right) and Paul Gilbert (back center). Photo provided.

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Honors College alum spearheads professional development program

Sarah Holland — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 16:11:36 +0000

Honors College alum spearheads professional development program Sarah Holland Mon, 12/09/2024 - 11:11

When preparing for college, prospective students and parents often ask about career readiness. How is the university preparing its students for the workforce? What’s the rate of job placement? Do the students succeed in their respective careers?

George Mason �鶹�� has a strong track record of preparing students for careers. And the Honors College is working to make sure Honors students are ready to shine in a competitive job market.

Jeff Shen provides opening remarks at the roundtable. Photo by Cristian Torres/Office of �鶹�� Branding

“These are incredibly motivated students. I am beyond impressed with their enthusiasm and intellect. And they’re ready. They have all the tools to succeed in the workforce, they just need the knowledge of how to find the right opportunity,” said Jeff Shen.

Shen, who graduated from what was then known as the Presidential Scholars Program in 1996 with a degree in decision sciences, is president of Red Team Consulting and a member of the Honors College Advisory Board. Last year, he came to Dean Zofia Burr with an idea for how to prepare Honors College students for their careers: a roundtable for students to meet with professionals in government contracting, supported by the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting.

“I spoke with some students during graduation,” Shen said, “and in asking them about their post-graduation plans and job opportunities, I realized that these really bright and promising students were missing some of the foundations for approaching the job market: how to network, where to look for opportunities, and so on. So I thought, there must be some way we can address that gap.”

The idea for the roundtable coincided with plans to develop the Honors College Professional Development Fellows program. As part of the program, the roundtable was one of a series of workshops that help students in the program craft their resumes, build their LinkedIn profiles, practice interviewing, and otherwise prepare for internship and career opportunities.

The first roundtable event in Spring 2024 featured 12 George Mason alumni, all of whom are major executives at government contracting companies. The first was such a success that Shen and the Honors College decided to host a second event in Fall 2024.

“In government contracting, you can be a writer, a clinical researcher, a health care professional, you can be in sales: It does not matter the background, there’s going to be a position in government contracting for that person,” Shen said. “I wanted students to see the world of possibilities in terms of what they could do with their degrees.”

Students had the opportunity to speak with each executive in small groups, gaining valuable insights and advice on how to prepare for their career.

Jessica Taylor, studying music technology with a minor in computer science, was one of the fellows in the spring. “As a music major who wants to go into software engineering, I have an untraditional background that needs to be particularly explained and presented when I’m introducing myself to potential employers,” she said. “The fellows program taught me that my variety of creative experience is actually one of the things that makes me stand out.”

Photo by Cristian Torres/Office of �鶹�� Branding

“We received [the mentors’] personal emails, offering the opportunity to follow up on potential career opportunities and further discussions,” said Monica Amaya, a management information systems major with a minor in computational and data sciences. Amaya attended the roundtable in Fall 2024. “The entirety of the Professional Development Fellows program has given us valuable networking opportunities to build meaningful relationships with successful government contracting leaders in the area.”

“I learned a lot about what it takes to build a business,” said cyber security engineering student Cameron Portis. “Hearing some of the stories about how these leaders overcame difficulties and changed their plans really inspired me to keep pushing toward my goals no matter what.”

The program continues to grow. In Spring 2025, the roundtable opportunities will expand to two new fields: Health administration and leadership, organized by Inova Health System’s Loren Rufino, BS Health Services ’12, and arts/performing arts nonprofit leadership, organized by Deb Gandy. Both are members of the Honors College Advisory Board.

And for Shen, opening doors for students is only part of the mission. “This is a great way for alumni and community members to get involved with George Mason,” he said. “I’m hoping this opens the door for them as well."

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“When one door closes, open another”: This Costello student is making his way in music industry

Sarah Holland — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 15:57:59 +0000

“When one door closes, open another”: This Costello student is making his way in music industry Sarah Holland Wed, 12/04/2024 - 10:57

Cody Salenga has been making music since he was a teenager. Performing under the name Steph Cody Music, he’s got a growing fanbase on Spotify and co-launched an independent record label this year. So when it came time to look for a summer internship, Salenga knew he wanted something in the music industry.

That’s how Salenga, one of Costello College of Business’ graduating business majors with a concentration in marketing, found himself running social media for Capitol Dystrikt Music in Washington, D.C.

“It combines my two passions in music and marketing,” he said, “and it’s my dream to work in the entertainment industry. The chance that one day I’ll be listening to a song on the radio, or on Apple music, and realize, ‘hey, I’ve been in the studio when they were making that song’ is really cool.”

In addition to managing social media and communications for Capital Dystrikt Music, Salenga works to build relationships between the artists and the studio to increase the studio’s presence. Building name recognition is at the core of his work, and that idea led to one of his major projects: the Graveyard Smash concert, hosted right here in the Johnson Center on Fairfax Campus on the eve of Halloween.

“I really wanted to put on a concert, so I pitched the idea of a concert sponsored by Capitol Dystrikt Music to the Student Centers using the Plaza Palooza (named after the Lollapalooza festival) as a template. And we had a great turnout,” he said. “It really just came together into a beautiful thing that I could find so much pride in.”

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of �鶹�� Branding

Capitol Dystrikt Music saw 200% more web traffic this month than previously, which Cody attributes to the event. “Tables in the Johnson Center were filled throughout the festival,” he said. “We probably had roughly 200 attendees.”

Salenga sees strong similarities between building an album and building a marketing campaign. “You work tirelessly on something for a long time, and you want people to see it and be moved by it, whether that’s an album or a product launch,” he said. His work speaks for itself, having grown the studio’s impressions by 113,780% or 5,694 impressions within a 30-day period, and 3.1k accounts reached in that same timeframe too.

Diving into the industry hasn’t been without challenges. “It’s a tough learning curve, figuring out how marketing works in the music industry, what’s going to land well, what will produce results, and so on,” he said. “But the classes like Digital Marketing and other foundational marketing classes I’ve taken at George Mason have given me a really solid marketing foundation.”

He cites the hands-on learning experiences in his marketing electives as being particularly impactful. A simulation tracking social post-performance and SEO, for example, gave him important insights into the mechanisms of marketing that he’s applying to both his professional and personal social presence.

“When it comes to George Mason, the stereotype that I’ve heard employers have of us is that we’re hardworking and gritty, and we don’t take things for granted. That's what we bring to the table in interviews that makes us different,” he said. “So when one door closes, don’t wait for something else to open: make a new opportunity for yourself.”

Salenga, left, performs on stage at Graveyard Smash. Photo provided

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