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George Mason undergrad overcomes health challenges to walk across the stage and accept her degree

Katarina Benson — Thu, 22 May 2025 14:25:23 +0000

George Mason undergrad overcomes health challenges to walk across the stage and accept her degree Katarina Benson Thu, 05/22/2025 - 10:25

Sporting green and gold Air Jordan sneakers, George Mason �鶹�� student Samantha Lewis rose from her wheelchair and put one foot in front of the other. 

Less than four months after complications from medical treatments left her without feeling in her legs, Lewis walked across the stage to receive her bachelor’s degree in psychology at the 2025 College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) Degree Celebration on May 16. 

“It is a surreal moment,” said Lewis, who is from Ashburn, Virginia. “The ability to be able to walk across the stage when in January I was lying in a hospital bed with no feeling in my legs and I had no idea if I’d ever be able to walk again.” 

Heavy on Lewis’ mind at that moment was her late father, Matthew, who 36 years and three days prior also graduated inside EagleBank Arena with a bachelor’s degree in decision science from George Mason in 1989. 

Samantha Lewis. Photo provided.

“He was my best friend,” said Lewis, who was 16 when her father died of skin cancer. “I know my dad is watching over me, and I know he is very proud of me. I wanted to go to Mason because that’s where he went.” 

Last fall, Lewis was diagnosed with and underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, which occurs due to the compression of blood vessels or nerves, causing shoulder and neck pain.

Following treatment in late January, she suddenly lost feeling in her legs. Lewis had suffered functional neurological disorder, a condition that can cause paralysis and kept her in the hospital for more than 10 days. 

After several falls at home, she was admitted to the hospital again for five days followed by two weeks of acute rehabilitation. Lewis finished up an 18-credit hour courseload to stay on track to graduate in three years while receiving physical therapy twice a week along with visiting a neuropsychologist and therapist several times a month. 

“What I learned in my major, particularly in cognitive psychology, helped me navigate those changes,” she said. “Understanding things like resilience, coping mechanisms, cognitive distortions, and the power of mindset gave me practical tools to work through some of my darkest moments.” 

Lewis’ fascination with human behavior drew her to psychology as she desired to learn more about “how and why we, think, feel, and act the way we do.” Instructor Sam Neff, who taught PSYC 317 Cognitive Psychology, recalls Lewis always sitting in the front row and their conversations before class as he set up his presentations. 

“She is intelligent, inquisitive, and was always looking to apply the concepts we talked about to her personal life,” Neff said. “On numerous occasions she had mentioned that the course was giving her information that was causing her to have ‘light-bulb’ moments about herself and the way that her cognitive processes worked.” 

Lewis made the CHSS Dean’s List her last four semesters despite a heavy courseload, which included 26 credit hours over 10 weeks in summer of 2024 while she was also working at George Mason Recreation as a fitness program assistant.  

Samantha Lewis with her family. Photo provided

Prior to the 2024-25 school year, she shifted all her courses online. She credits George Mason’s Disability Services for helping and communicating with professors when she needed more time to complete coursework. 

“That kind of advocacy was really important,” she said.  

When her name was called, Lewis—with mother Kristine, stepmother Megan, and three grandparents in the audience—proudly walked across the platform, receiving a huge embrace from CHSS Dean Ann Ardis and a thunderous standing ovation from the thousands inside EagleBank Arena. 

“I heard the cheering, but I obviously was focused on making sure I didn’t fall,” Lewis said with a laugh. “I’m just overwhelmed by the support and response.” 

“It is giving me chills even now,” Kristine Lewis said. “To watch her actually walk across the stage and then see the reaction from her professors and her dean, who just embraced her with such a strong hug... and then to see the student body do it, there are no words. That was such a moment of support for her and us. I was not expecting that.” 

Lewis says she plans to take a break before considering her next steps. Her focus remains on making a full recovery as she has already gained sensation in most of her right leg.  

“It kind of scares me what I am going to do when I’m healthy,” she said. “You really can do anything when you set your mind to it. You just have to believe in yourself.”

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Adults with Cognitive Disabilities More than Twice as Likely to Use E-Cigarettes

dhawkin — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 13:46:51 +0000

Adults with Cognitive Disabilities More than Twice as Likely to Use E-Cigarettes dhawkin Wed, 01/27/2021 - 08:46

In This Story

Gilbert Gimm, PhD, FGSA

George Mason �鶹�� study is the first to assess the use of e-cigarettes among working-age adults by type of disability.

The rapid growth of e-cigarette use is a major public health problem in the United States – with significant attention on use among adolescents and young adults. Although manufacturers of e-cigarettes tout their products as safer alternatives to cigarette smoking, research has shown that e-cigarettes can be as hazardous as traditional tobacco products but appeal to those who were never cigarette smokers.

In the first study to assess national use of e-cigarettes among adults with disabilities, George Mason �鶹��’s College of Health and Human Services researchers found that adults with disabilities were twice as likely to use e-cigarettes (8.4%) than adults without disabilities (4.8%), but the prevalence of e-cigarette use varied by type of disability.

Dr. Gilbert Gimm led the study published in Disability and Health Journal.

“Previous studies have found that e-cigarette use is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, depression, and adverse health outcomes. Also, smokers with disabilities are less likely to receive advice from their physicians to stop smoking,” explains Gimm. “�鶹�� study shows that adults with disabilities are a high-risk group for e-cigarette use and therefore at greater risk for adverse health outcomes.”

Gimm and colleagues assessed e-cigarette use among 560,858 working age adults (18-64 years) with and without disabilities by using data from the 2017-2018 Behavioral Risk Factor and Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. With a nationally representative sample, they estimated the prevalence of e-cigarette use among adults by type of disability.

They found that e-cigarette use was more than twice as likely among adults with a cognitive disability (12.0%), an independent living disability (11.0%), or two or more disabilities (9.2%), compared to adults without disabilities (4.8%). Adults with disabilities who were previously smokers were more likely to use e-cigarettes than adults with disabilities who never smoked.

“We know from prior studies that adults with cognitive disabilities have higher rates of mental health conditions such as severe depression and anxiety, and we think this might be a reason for greater e-cigarette use among this population,” adds Gimm. “Detailed information on mental health conditions wasn’t available in our sample, so we hope future research can shed light on this potential contributor to e-cigarette use in these groups.”

Regardless of reported disability status, men were more likely to use e-cigarettes than women, and young adults (18-24 years) were six times as likely use e-cigarettes than middle-aged adults (45-54 years). Adults with COPD or depression were also more likely to use e-cigarettes.

This study highlights the need for more targeted smoking cessation treatments for adults with cognitive disabilities and other high-risk groups. In the future, Gimm and colleagues plan to conduct future research on the use of e-cigarettes among adults with disabilities.

About George Mason �鶹��
George Mason �鶹�� is Virginia's largest and most diverse public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. For more information, visit https://www2.gmu.edu/.

About the College of Health and Human Services
George Mason �鶹��'s College of Health and Human Services prepares students to become leaders and shape the public's health through academic excellence, research of consequence, community outreach, and interprofessional clinical practice. George Mason is the fastest-growing Research I institution in the country. The College enrolls more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,370 graduate students in its nationally-recognized offerings, including: 5 undergraduate degrees, 13 graduate degrees, and 7 certificate programs. The college is transitioning to a college public health in the near future. For more information, visit https://chhs.gmu.edu/.

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Marcel Assink is January Employee of the Month

Damian Cristodero — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 10:30:00 +0000

Marcel Assink is January Employee of the Month Damian Cristodero Wed, 01/15/2020 - 05:30

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Panel discussion promotes inspiration and empowerment through diversity and inclusion

John Hollis — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 10:00:00 +0000

Panel discussion promotes inspiration and empowerment through diversity and inclusion John Hollis Tue, 12/03/2019 - 05:00

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George Mason undergrad overcomes health challenges to walk across the stage and accept her degree

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Adults with Cognitive Disabilities More than Twice as Likely to Use E-Cigarettes

In This Story

George Mason �鶹���� study is the first to assess the use of e-cigarettes among working-age adults by type of disability.

Topics

Marcel Assink is January Employee of the Month

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Panel discussion promotes inspiration and empowerment through diversity and inclusion

Topics

George Mason �鶹�� study is the first to assess the use of e-cigarettes among working-age adults by type of disability.