Author: Brianna Alford

Amid a swirl of machine-made fog, colored lights, and emotional student voice-overs, the curtains rose to commence the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism (SRHT) 2017 Degree Celebration. The celebration was held Friday, May 19 at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on the Science and Technology Campus in Manassas, VA. Such a planned dramatic entrance would seem only right for students studying Tourism and Events Management or athletic trainers and managers used to the theatrical entrance of today’s collegiate and professional athletes at sporting events. However, the students themselves were the stars making the grand entrance on this degree celebration morning, clad in their deep green Mason regalia.

The graduates were warmly welcomed to the stage by Dr. Mark Ginsberg, Dean of the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) serving as master of ceremonies, and SRHT faculty.  While emphasizing that the ceremony was a celebration for and about the graduates, Dean Ginsberg did take a moment to honor retiring Associate Dean for Research, Dr. Peter Barcher, before introducing the speakers.

Graduate Justin Merrigan was chosen to address the Class of 2017, an honor he had kept secret as a graduation day surprise for his mother. Justin spoke with humor and candor as he shared his struggles to overcome skepticism, failure, and self-doubt, and to learn to “embrace vulnerability” on the path to his Master of Science in Exercise, Fitness, and Health Promotion.  He encouraged his fellow graduates to take risks as he had when choosing to submit his research for academic publication and later in applying to PhD programs.  “Leave the ego at the door, accept criticism, and strive to be better,” he told them.  His advice rings true:  This fall Justin will join the CEHD School of Education to pursue his PhD.

Dr. Britt Davis, the CEHD 2017 Distinguished Alumnus, delivered the Degree Celebration Address.  Dr. Davis, who currently serves as the Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Special Advisor to the President of Campbell University, started his speech by comically zipping through 11 excellent commencement address themes he might have chosen before settling to his theme that no graduate earns a Mason degree alone.  He expressed that family, friends, and faculty are the keys to success, sharing examples from his own years as a Mason undergraduate.  Dr. Davis led the graduates and their loved ones through a group exercise wherein they repeated after him as they shared their thanks, pride, love, and support for one another.  By the time he had finished, the auditorium was awash with both laughter and tears in equal measure.  He finished by reminding graduates to carry their Mason heritage with pride and to always give back to Mason.

The speeches over and the students anxiously waiting for the highlight of the day, Dean Ginsberg set the stage for the presentation of degrees to the graduates.  Each SRHT Academic Program Coordinator stepped to the podium in turn, describing their program of study and then calling the names of their graduates with evident pride.  When all the names had been read, Dean Ginsberg announced the names of the 13 students chosen as Program Award Winners and then led the audience in applauding all of Mason’s newest alumni.    He concluded the ceremony by telling the graduates that the day marked an inflection point in their lives, not an end, but a beginning.  Presenting each graduate with a Mason luggage tag, he urged them to “take Mason with you” on the journey ahead.  Faculty and Graduates then processed out of the auditorium to the beat of Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration”.  For Mason’s 2017 SRHT Graduates, degrees in hand and bright futures ahead, the celebration had only just begun.

The School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism 2017 Program Award Winners:

Bryndan Wise Lindsey

Outstanding Student in Exercise Fitness and Health Promotion

Amanda D. Garrett

Emily A. Cookson

Outstanding Students in Sport and Recreation Studies

Lauren E. Field

Janet J. Lozar Commemorative Award for the Outstanding Student in Athletic Training

Forrest N. Stieg

Outstanding Student in Kinesiology

Nicholas Schwarz

Outstanding Student in Health and Physical Education

Raina Sage Aide, Parks and Outdoor Recreation

Jeremy D. Steinel, Therapeutic Recreation

Thomas L. Goodale Award for the Outstanding Students in Recreation Management

Danielle Elise Bush

Matthew Brian Quinn

Charley Casserly Outstanding Students in Sport Management

Samantha Sutton

Outstanding Student in Tourism and Events Management

Abigail R. Solis

College of Education and Human Development Excellence in Writing Award

Keriana Grace Sachtleben

John R. Linn Memorial Award for Outstanding Student Athlete

• Don’t miss an announcement!

  Subscribe to the Student Success Blog

  * indicates required

  Email Address *

  First Name

  Last Name

It seemed for a little while that the May 20, 2017 College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) School of Education (GSE) Degree Celebration might not happen.  After all, University Commencement had run more than an hour longer than expected, eating into the turn-around time between ceremonies.  Doctoral students who should have been lining up with their dissertation chairs in the lobby were still inside Eagle Bank Arena being hooded.  Master’s candidates were milling in the parking lot, texting friends inside the commencement ceremony and trying to decide if there was time to run and grab lunch before lining up again for their Degree Celebration.  CEHD staff waited in the arena wings for the strains of Pomp and Circumstance to signal the end of University Commencement and cue them into action.  Before the last university graduate had processed out, crews began busily setting up for the GSE ceremony, rearranging the stage and bringing the color guard in to practice, placing programs on seats and speeches at podiums.  If George Mason University had “saved the best for last” in scheduling the School of Education Degree Celebration, then it was essential that those who were last received only the best.

Eventually, of course, this day of celebration did straighten itself out.  Grads made the most of the extra time by sharing hugs and selfies with their cohorts and faculty.  Family settled into their seats and Pomp and Circumstance played one last time.  GSE Faculty Marshals in their colorful regalia led their students into Eagle Bank Arena for the final official celebration of their academic accomplishments. Despite the wait, there was real joy in that sea of green robes. Along with the usual messages of thanks to family and inspirational sayings, more than a few mortar boards were decked out like mini classroom blackboards, with messages in chalk.  Others sported #2 pencils, apples, and rulers.  Proud teachers and education leaders found their seats and then waved to family in the crowd.

Dr. Mark Ginsberg, Dean of the College of Education and Human Development, serving as master of ceremonies for the event, stepped to the podium to warmly welcome the graduates, promising them that “Your work as educators will be life changing,” both for themselves and the students they serve.  He then called upon student speaker Sara Magdi Hussein to share her own transformation as a GSE student.  Sara, who came to the U.S. as a thirteen-year-old from Sudan, told the audience how, as a Mason undergraduate in Psychology, she had been shy and narrowly-focused on earning the education her family so highly prized. She described the risk she took when deciding, as a candidate for a Masters in Counseling and Development, to overcome her culture’s stigmas surrounding mental health and to give up her role as “the invisible girl” so that she could become an advocate for others.  In challenging herself, Sara discovered just what a strong woman she truly is.  She thanked her family, colleagues, and faculty for helping her to grow.  “I am grateful for the risks I have taken because they have brought me to where I always needed to be,” Sara told them. 

When Dean Ginsberg stepped to the podium to thank Sara, the audience expected him to then introduce the celebration’s guest speaker, Dr. Daniel Domenech, Executive Director of the American Association of School Administrators.  Instead they got the harrowing but humorous story of Dr. Ginsberg and Dr. Domenech exchanging text messages in the wake of Dr. Domenech’s last-minute orthopedic injury and his valiant efforts to attend the degree celebration despite pain, surgery, and doctor’s orders.  Disappointed not to be able to introduce his friend, but nonetheless undaunted, Dean Ginsberg delivered a powerful message to the graduates: “You might not become rich [as education professionals], but you will become, and forever be, enriched because you make a difference in the lives of others every single day.” He then presented the 2017 Distinguished Service to Education Award in absentia to Dr. Domenech before honoring retiring CEHD faculty members, Dr. Peter Barcher and Dr. Joseph Maxwell.

Following the speeches, the dean progressed to the long-awaited highlight of the day:  the conferral of degrees and certificates.  Graduates of the Mason LIFE (Learning into Future Environments) Program led the way, proudly accepting their certificates for completing Mason’s post-secondary program for young adults with developmental and intellectual disAbilities.  The 21 candidates for Doctor of Philosophy in Education then came to the stage to be presented with the CEHD Academic Achievement Medal by their dissertation chairs in recognition of their scholarly accomplishments and degree completion. 

The single largest graduate group consisted of the candidates for master’s degrees.  Nearly 500 students representing Counseling and Development, Curriculum and Instruction, Education Leadership, Educational Psychology, and Special Education, from all ages and walks of life, crossed the stage to cheers from family and friends.  One graduate even carried her baby with her.  As each master’s program was presented, Associate Dean Ellen Rodgers announced the names of the program’s award winners, who were recognized with a plaque in honor of their academic achievement.  CEHD’s largest group of graduates was followed by its smallest: the 5 students receiving GSE’s only bachelor’s degrees in Human Development and Family Science, a co-curricular program of study with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. When he had finished shaking the hands of all the graduates as they crossed the stage, Dean Ginsberg asked all students receiving master’s-level certificates to stand and be recognized. 

In concluding the ceremony, and to “make it official”, Dean Ginsberg invited each graduate to turn their tassel to the left signifying their new status as Mason Alumni. He reminded them that today was not an end, but rather a beginning of their professional journey.  He urged them to show their Patriot Pride by wearing their lapel pin, giving back to Mason, and using the luggage tag that had been placed upon their seat.  “Take your university with you wherever life takes you,” he reminded them.  “Once a Patriot, Always a Patriot.”

The School of Education 2017 Program Award Winners:

Abigail Konopasky

Doctor of Philosophy in Education

Meghan Elizabeth Miller

Advanced Studies in Teaching and Learning

Howard E. Eaves Jr., School Counseling

Thu-An Trinh, Community Agency Counseling

Counseling and Development

Alanna Dawkins

Early Childhood Education for Diverse Learners

Kurt W. Soderstrom

Early Childhood Special Education

Sarah R. Whelan

Education Leadership

Elysia Howe, Assessment, Evaluation, and Training

Grace Wingo, Learning Cognition, and Motivation

Jun Ye, Learning and Decision-Making in Leadership

Educational Psychology

Charmaine Go Smith

Amy Christine Wynant

Elementary Education

Leanna Panasethaned Moron

Human Development and Family Science

Todd Irvin, Instructional Design and Technology

Learning Technologies

Sara Anne Greenberg

Literacy

Karen A. Beir

Mathematics Specialist Leader

Lydia Erin Bradshaw, English

Sara Louise Evers, Social Studies

Amanda Marie Hoelscher, Science

Jordan N. Koca, Mathematics

Secondary Education

Sarah B. Forgione

Stacie Brady, Assistive Technology

Jessica Caylor, Vision Impairment

Blair Alexandra Kersh, Students with Disabilities Who Access the Adapted Curriculum

Rachel Bunting McCain, Students with Disabilities Who Access the General Curriculum

Taylor Lynn Morrison, Applied Behavior Analysis

Special Education

Harry L. Althoff, International Elementary

Site Li, Foreign Language

Bethany Anne Farrell, English as a Second Language

Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and Exceptional Learners

Brigid Kathleen Donlevie

Transformative Teaching

• Don’t miss an announcement!

  Subscribe to the Student Success Blog

  * indicates required

  Email Address *

  First Name

  Last Name

George Mason University’s Nu Alpha Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education inducted 16 new members on May 9, in a ceremony in the Johnson Center Cinema.  Dean Mark Ginsberg and Associate Dean Ellen Rodgers welcomed new members and presented Kappa Delta Pi’s history, mission, and vision. They charged inductees with upholding the high standards and commitment to education that had prompted faculty members to nominate them for Kappa Delta Pi membership.

New members were chosen by current chapter members and CEHD faculty based on their GPA and coursework. In addition, all nominees have consistently exhibited worthy educational ideals, an intention to continue in the field of education, professionalism, and leadership attributes.

Nu Alpha Chapter co-counselors, Dr. Jennifer Hathaway and Ms. Rebekah Flis, assisted in swearing-in the new members:

Linsdey Carter

Elizabeth S. Cox

Stephen B. Dowell

Rebekah Flis

Renee Gokey

Melissa Hill

Melody Hoyt

Anne Marie C. Infantino

Benita J. Klein

Mary E. Luckenbaugh

Sydney R. Potter

Brandon M. Quiles

Kelly Scruggs

Sian V. Stephan

Mallika Thanasanti

Lydia To 

This year’s induction ceremony marked a reorganization and renewal for Mason’s Nu Alpha Chapter prompted by increased student interest in the many benefits of Kappa Delta Pi membership.  The organization offers a lifelong connection to its more than 40,000 active members and 1.2 million alumni from their early undergraduate years, through their professional progress, and even into retirement.  In addition to Kappa Delta Pi’s networking benefits, members have access to continuing education, scholarship and grant funding, and publication opportunities.

The CEHD Office of Student and Academic Affairs congratulates the newest members of Kappa Delta Pi and looks forward to sharing more news from the Nu Alpha Chapter in the fall.  Please contact to learn how you can become a member of Kappa Delta Pi.

• Don’t miss an announcement!

  Subscribe to the Student Success Blog

  * indicates required

  Email Address *

  First Name

  Last Name

Teachers of Tomorrow (TOT) may be an organization primarily focused on recruiting and promoting future educators among Mason undergraduates, but this spring, saw TOT members working hard on another aspect of their mission – service – in the form of their Annual Book Drive.  According to rising senior and TOT President, Bre’Ana Bryant, “The TOT Book Drive was our biggest event this semester.  The Teachers of Tomorrow have a strong belief in promoting literacy. “ 

TOT Members kicked off the drive in the beginning of March, placing decorated collection boxes at locations all over campus, asking for donations of new and gently used books for readers of all ages and abilities.  By the end of the drive on March 31, TOT had received over 500 books!  The fun really began as TOT members hauled boxes and sorted stacks of books, readying them for distribution to appreciative schools, churches, shelters, and community centers throughout Northern Virginia and the greater Washington D.C. area. 

In addition to hosting fellowship activities and professional development workshops, which the organization organizes regularly throughout the academic year, members hope to increase their service opportunities. “I want us to work toward making an even greater presence within our community and even increase membership along the way,” says Bryant. 

Their efforts have not gone unnoticed.  TOT was nominated for a Distinguished Quill Award for Student Organization of the Year in April.  TOT is open to all Mason undergraduates, regardless of major, who are passionate about education or wishing to learn more about teaching. Learn more HERE.

• Don’t miss an announcement!

  Subscribe to the Student Success Blog

  * indicates required

  Email Address *

  First Name

  Last Name