Month: May 2020

Each year, faculty in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) come together to select an outstanding student in their program to receive the honor of being named as their program award winner. Students selected for this award embody the very best of their program: they excel in their studies; they demonstrate leadership in classes and internships; and they have a genuine and tenacious passion for their discipline.

This year, faculty in Counseling and Development have selected Caitlyn Largent as their Outstanding Student  in  Counseling and Development (Community Agency Counseling). Congratulations, Caitlyn!

Q & A with Outstanding Student in Counseling and Development, Caitlyn Largent:

What academic accomplishment are most proud of? 

Balancing work, academics, and my practicum/internship. It was an exhausting year, but I am very grateful for my support system and all that I learned.   

What organizations/affiliations have you been involved with while at Mason? 

I served on the Chi Sigma Iota Leadership Team and worked as a grad student for the Student Support and Advocacy Center. 

What are your plans after graduation? 

I am currently working as the Advocacy Specialist at George Washington University and pursuing licensure in DC. I am planning to stay in Higher Education!  

What is your favorite memory in CEHD or your favorite part of being a CEHD student? 

My favorite part of being a CEHD student is the community I built during my time at Mason. I moved to Virginia from Ohio for this program, and it was a big transition for me. Some of the people I met through being a CEHD student have become some of my closest friends and biggest supporters. I am very lucky to have them in my life!   

What advice do you have for fellow CEHD students (especially those that are not graduating yet)? 

Most importantly, reach out to your resources. Mason has some amazing resources on their campuses that are available to students for free. The Student Support and Advocacy Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Health Services, Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education & LGBTQ+ Resources, the list goes on! You’re not alone in any of this, there are people there to support you. Also, take advantage of the opportunities available to you as a CEHD student. I was able to connect with a lot of really amazing people and discovered passions I wouldn’t have known I had otherwise because I was always looking for ways to get involved and learn more.   

 

 

Each year, faculty in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) come together to select an outstanding student in their program to receive the honor of being named as their program award winner. Students selected for this award embody the very best of their program: they excel in their studies; they demonstrate leadership in classes and internships; and they have a genuine and tenacious passion for their discipline.

This year, faculty in Educattional Psychology have selected Ava Driscoll as their Outstanding Student in Educational Psychology (Assessment, Evaluation, and Testing). Congratulations, Ava!

Q & A with Outstanding Student in Educational Psychology, Ava Driscoll:

What academic accomplishment are most proud of?  

I am very proud of my master’s capstone project! It’s a formative evaluation of a social-emotional learning program and the results are going to directly impact my community.  

What organizations/affiliations have you been involved with while at Mason?  

As a full-time elementary teacher, I unfortunately didn’t have time to join any organizations at Mason while completing my masters, but I sing with the Vienna Choral Society and am a Teach for America alumna.  

What are your plans after graduation?  

After graduation I plan to continue teaching while I try to find a different role within the field of education to work on research and program evaluation. 

What is your favorite memory in CEHD or your favorite part of being a CEHD student?  

My favorite part of being a CEHD student is getting to work with and learn from the amazing faculty and my fellow graduate students. Our student body is incredibly diverse- we come from all walks of life, have fascinating experiences and backgrounds, and come from all over the world. It’s been a privilege to hear from so many unique perspectives.  

What advice do you have for fellow CEHD students (especially those that are not graduating yet)? 

My advice to fellow CEHD students is to always ask questions and use your resources! The CEHD faculty and students are an invaluable wealth of knowledge and experience- so don’t be afraid to use them!  

 

 

 Each year, faculty in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) come together to select an outstanding student in their program to receive the honor of being named as their program award winner. Students selected for this award embody the very best of their program: they excel in their studies; they demonstrate leadership in classes and internships; and they have a genuine and tenacious passion for their discipline.

This year, faculty in Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and Exceptional Learners (TCLDEL) have selected Jennifer Sokol as their Outstanding Student in Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and Exceptional Learners. Congratulations, Jennifer!

Q & A with Outstanding Student in Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and Exceptional Learners (ESOL), Jennifer Sokol

What academic accomplishment are most proud of?  ​ 

I have been able to connect almost all of my class Performance Based Assessments (PBAs) to an issue I care deeply about in my own classroom and school – increasing equity for non-Spanish speaking emergent bilinguals.  

What organizations/affiliations have you been involved with while at Mason? ​

As a part time graduate student and a full time teacher, I have not been involved in Mason specific organizations, but have gotten involved in the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) based on the recommendation of several professors.  I am also a member of the education divisions of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Chemical Society (ACS), and National Science Teaching Association (NSTA).  

What are your plans after graduation? 

After graduation, I am going to continue to teach science in both general education and sheltered language instruction settings.  I also plan to continue with action research focused on improving engagement, inclusion, and academic outcomes for non-Spanish speaking emergent bilinguals in Spanish dominant ESOL programs.    

What is your favorite memory in CEHD or your favorite part of being a CEHD student?

My favorite memory is the way the my whole 661 class (almost) was a subset of the 520 class.  We worked together and supported each other as a true community of learners.  I especially love that during these exceptional circumstances, the group reconnected over text to touch base and check on each other – even if I still can’t reply to the whole group at once.   I also always felt like the professors were really interested in what myself and my classmates were doing in our classrooms and who we are outside of class.  

What advice do you have for fellow CEHD students (especially those that are not graduating yet)?

 My advice is to be proactive.  Reach out to your professors and your classmates when you are struggling academically or personally.  They will help you to be successful if you ask.  Then, when you get your own classroom, remember to be there the same way for your students. 

Ws there anything else you would like to share about yourself? 

I started my program to learn how to better teach my emergent bilingual students.  While I did gain some strategies and a better understanding of how to reach students where they are, I learned a lot more about my own reasons for teaching and how to ensure that I continue to grow as a person and a professional. 

 

Each year, faculty in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) come together to select an outstanding student in their program to receive the honor of being named as their program award winner. Students selected for this award embody the very best of their program: they excel in their studies; they demonstrate leadership in classes and internships; and they have a genuine and tenacious passion for their discipline.

This year, faculty in Sport and Recreation Studies have selected Hunter Pucell as their Outstanding Graduate Student in  Sport and Recreation Studies . Congratulations, Hunter!

Q & A with Outstanding Graduate Student in Sport and Recreation Studies, Hunter Purcell

What academic accomplishment are most proud of?  ​ 

The opportunity to be Charley Casserly’s Teaching Assistant during the spring semester of 2019 and my internship opportunities with the Washington Redskins and NFL Players Association (NFLPA)  

What organizations/affiliations have you been involved with while at Mason? ​

GMU Affiliated: Patriot Club, GMU eSports, Bachelor Accelerated Master’s Program (BAM), Outside Organizations: Washington Redskins (Internship), NFLPA (internship), James Madison University Football (Internship)  

What are your plans after graduation? 

Pursue a J.D. from an accredited law school in the hopes of eventually finding full time employment in Football Administration within a high-level football environment (NFL, NFL Club or an Agency)  

What is your favorite memory in CEHD or your favorite part of being a CEHD student? 

My favorite part of being a CEHD student was the opportunity to work with some of the incredible staff in the Sport Management department specifically. I couldn’t have gotten to this point without the excellent guidance of some of the wonderful faculty and staff that I had the pleasure of working with during my time at GMU. My greatest thanks goes out to them.  

What advice do you have for fellow CEHD students (especially those that are not graduating yet)?

For fellow CEHD Students, I would advise you brainstorm your next steps for your career and keep pushing until you get the opportunities you desire. Heed advice of those who are knowledgeable, but know that no one knows what is best for you except you. Finally, take as many unpaid opportunities as you can while you can, and be sure to take full advantage of these opportunities by putting your best foot forward and making a great impression.  

Ws there anything else you would like to share about yourself? 

After the Summer of 2018 and my internship with James Madison Football, I was offered a full-time Graduate Assistantship position with the JMU football program. This would have meant transferring to JMU as a graduate student while receiving all tuition paid alongside a monthly stipend. Even after receiving a plethora of advice from professors and family members that I should go to JMU, my decision was certainly not one to do with money as they suggested it should have been, but rather it was about opportunity and positioning towards future success. In the end, I decided the place that provided the best path for myself in regards to the opportunities I desired was George Mason, so I doubled down on my commitment to GMU and decided to stay. This lead to opportunities with the Redskins and the NFLPA in the following year. The decision to stay was both the best and most difficult decision I made during my academic career, and it showed me the importance of taking a risk, knowing what is best for me personally and pursuing my own path. 

 

As part of the College of Education and Human Development’s continuing efforts to support both student and faculty research here at George Mason University, we are sharing this research study participation request:

Greetings.

My name is Michelle Wilbern and I am a research assistant working with Dr. Debra Sprague at George Mason University. We are conducting a research study about the transition to online learning from face to face instruction during the coronavirus pandemic.  I am emailing to ask if you would like to take about 10-15 minutes to complete a survey for this research project. You must be 18 years of age or older and a student enrolled in a college course during the Spring 2020 semester in order to participate in this study. Participation is completely voluntary, and your answers will be anonymous. If you are interested, please click on the link for the survey:

https://gmucehd.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_86NaAprY1yvjiKx

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Sprague at [email protected] or (703) 993-2069. This study has been approved by George Mason University Institutional Review Board with the reference number 1597642-1.

Thank you for your time,

Michelle Wilbern