Why I Chose Mason: Justin

Name: Justin

Graduation Year: 2006

Major: Psychology

Minor: Economics

Hometown: Virginia Beach

Favorite Mason Memory: Homecoming hot tub.  After a long day of celebrating homecoming, it was nice to sit back and relax in our custom Liberty Square hot tub.  While this hot tub was not officially sanctioned by Mason (i.e., it was an inflatable pool  outside our window filled with hot water from the kitchen sink), it was probably the best time I had at Mason, though the Final Four in Indianapolis was a very close second.

Plans: I currently work in Federal contracting and plan on returning to Mason for a graduate degree to further my career.

Why did you chose Mason: As the biggest school in Virginia, Mason is a hard school to pass by.  It offers just about every program you could ever want, and it’s close enough to DC that you feel connected to the real world, but far enough away so that you can step back and take a breath every once in a while.

Why I Chose Mason: Alex

Name: Alex

Graduation Year: 2009

Major: Government and International Politics

Minor: Business

Hometown: Chester, VA

Favorite Mason Memory: The Elite Eight Game against Connecticut at the Verizon Center.  Connecticut was a top seeded team that year for the tournament and nobody thought Mason could beat them.  I can still picture the Huskies missing the 3 pointer as time ran out in overtime and the place erupting!  It was unbelievable!  Go Mason!

Plans: I will be starting grad school at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London in September to get my Masters in Middle East Politics and to study Arabic.  After that, its anyone’s guess, but I hope to stay international.

Why I chose Mason: As President Merten says- location, location, location.  I toured all the major Virginia university campuses my Junior and Senior year in High School.  Mason was my last tour and it was the only place that hit me, it felt right at Mason and I did not feel that way about any of the other schools.  Everything imaginable is at your fingertips at Mason

Why I Chose Mason: Gino

Name: Gino

Graduation Year: 2007

Major: Government & International Politics

Minors: Public Policy, Business Administration

Hometown: Loyalton, California

Favorite Mason Memory: I joined the Mason Rugby Club as a Junior, and the experience I gained as part of a team, and a brotherhood, have stayed with me since.

Plans: Upon graduation I began my career with a lobbying and public affairs firm in Sacramento.  I now currently work in the California Legislature for a Republican Assemblyman representing Orange County.  My eventual goal is to own and operate an advocacy firm specializing in consulting for companies in the natural resources sector of the economy.

Why did you chose Mason: Seeking a change from the West Coast, I spent three years researching schools across the country that would provide a top notch education in political science.  I was also seeking an institution with professors with actual real world experience relative to the curriculum being taught, something that I was not finding in my college tours in California.  Finally, location, location, location.  Mason’s proximity to Washington made it an easy sell.  The ability to intern on Capitol Hill as a 19 year old freshman – when your fellow interns are 23 and just out of college – is an opportunity that only location can provide.

Why I Chose Mason: Nick

Name: Nick

Graduation Year: 2006

Major: B.A. Global Affairs

Minor: Latin American Studies

Hometown: Ashburn, VA

Favorite Mason Memory: Is when I made the decision to become more active in on-campus life. I became involved with the student activities board, Greek life, and Club and Intermural sports. I discovered that there is a whole community at Mason and this made my college experience so much deeper and more rewarding.

Plans: I am currently working for a large government contractor and continuing my education to receive my MBA . I stay active in my fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi, as an alumni adviser and still attend the occasion Mason sporting event.

Why did you choose Mason: I chose to transfer to Mason because  I wanted more options curriculum-wise and was looking to get into the international opportunities the DC area offers. Mason was my solution for all of this and was also far enough away from home that I was able to grow as a young adult, yet within driving distance, so I could still make it home when I needed to.

Why I Chose Mason: Mandy

Name: Mandy

Graduation Year: 2011

Major: Dance BFA

Minor: Events Management

Hometown: Hanover, PA

Favorite Mason Memory: As a member of the GMU dance company, we have several opportunities to perform onstage on campus, but I’ll never forget the first time the company was asked to perform on the Millennium Stage in the Kennedy Center. It’s always been a dream of mine to perform in such a highly esteemed venue and it was through Mason that this dream came true.

Plans: Attend audition after audition, but hoping to find a job in a professional modern dance company while still being able to utilize my minor as a wedding planner as well.

Why Did You Choose Mason: Mason was THE perfect fit. While looking for schools as a senior in high school, I was convinced I only wanted to attend a conservatory for a more intense study of dance. However, I couldn’t be happier at Mason. I didn’t have to compromise my academics and I am receiving a more diverse dance training from Mason than any other school could have provided me.

Why I Chose Mason: Terrell

Name: Terrell

Graduation Year: May 2010

Major: Minor: Major in Sociology with a concentration in Deviance and Control, minor in Administration of Justice and a minor in African American Studies

Hometown: Woodbridge,VA by way of Ohio

Favorite Mason Memory: My favorite memory at Mason, is me waking up around 7:00am my freshman year to see Barack Obama speak at 12:00pm.  One of the rare times I woke up early that semester.

Plans: My plan is to attend law school so I may one day work within the Juvenile Criminal court system as an attorney and later as a judge.

Why Did You Choose Mason: I choose Mason because I wanted to be in close proximity to Washington D.C., without actually being in the city. After all, I am used to the suburban atmosphere. Additionally, because I am interested in pursuing a career in law, Mason was very appealing to me.  The school offers several opportunities for students interested in this field of study. For example, I was able to intern for Legal Services of Northern Virginia, because of connections I made while at Mason.

Why I Chose Mason: Brydin

Name: Brydin

Graduation Year: 2008

Major: Communication, with a concentration in Interpersonal/Organizational Communication

Minors: Arts Administration & Business

Hometown: Richmond, VA

Favorite Mason Memory: Of course going to Indianapolis for the Final Four and hearing Barack Obama speak are some of the highlights of my time at Mason, but my college experience wouldn’t be the same without Urbanknowlogy 101, Mason’s hip-hop dance troupe. Aside from performing at events like Mason Madness and sharing so many laughs with my teammates, my year serving as president and being able to plan, fundraise, and orchestrate our first event, “For the Love of Hip-Hop,” is something I’ll never forget. We took over SUB I and filled it with local rappers, singers, dancers, graffiti artists, and clothing designers. It was an incredible to see when it was all over that, despite all the difficulties in getting the show off the ground, we pulled it off!

Plans: I’ll be starting my Master’s in Arts Management this summer, hoping to put that degree to good use one day when I begin producing concerts and other events.

Why Did You Choose Mason: I knew from the moment I stepped on campus that I would be a Patriot; I just felt it. I had been on tours of other college campuses and never sensed they were the right fit for me. I knew I would be bored in a small college town or rural environment, yet I still wanted to be on a traditional college campus. I discovered Mason was that perfect balance of being in the midst of the bustling and vibrant D.C.-metropolitan area while still managing to to maintain a sense of community on campus.

Why I Chose Mason: Patrick

Name: Patrick

Graduation Year: 2011

Major: Psychology

Minor: Education minor

Hometown: Burke, Virginia

Favorite Mason Memory: The day I was accepted to Mason my dad surprised me with NCAA tournament tickets to the region in which GMU was playing. Mason was my first choice, and once I saw how great the student body support was my choice was set in stone. Seeing a sea of GREEN and GOLD, was amazing; not to mention the fact that I watched my school advance to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament.

Plans: I plan to pursue my PhD in Psychology as well as a masters in education. Once I finish all my degrees I plan to work in the field of higher education to follow my passion of helping students get into college and get the best education possible.

Why Did You Choose Mason: I chose Mason because of the strength of my academic program, as well as the great area that surrounds it of Georgetown, Washington DC, and Northern Virginia. When I was making my final choice I wanted to have a university where I had an opportunity to grow, not only in personal knowledge, but as a well rounded human being. Mason’s diversity offered me just that opportunity and I could not pass it up.

Why I Chose Mason: Quincey

Name: Quincey

Graduation Year: 2011

Major: Communication with a concentration in Public Relations

Minor: Legal Studies

Hometown: Powell, Wyoming

Favorite Mason Memory: Having a Robinson Professor is an amazing experience in itself. During one of my classes with Robinson Professor John Paden, he enhanced our discussion of Nigerian elections by bringing in Attahiru Bafarawa, Nigerian Presidential Candidate and founder of the Democratic People’s Party, to speak with our class. The dialogue that ensued between a group of students and a significant international political figure provided more education than any book or lecture could ever hope to accomplish.

Plans: I hope to continue my education by attending a graduate institute. I would like to work on a marketing campaign for a non-profit organization involved with human rights.

Why Did You Choose Mason: In my college search I had one goal in mind: to be as far away as possible from “the known.” Traveling to DC from Wyoming practically accomplished this! I desired a school that could incorporate the metropolitan area but still create a more rural college atmosphere. Being involved with the Mason Forensic program (www.gmuforensics.org) was also a huge deciding factor.

Why I Chose Mason: Suzie

Name: Suzie

Graduation Year: 2011

Major: Communications and Theater

Hometown: Burlington, New Jersey

Favorite Mason Memory: I joined a sorority my freshman year and one thing that all the Greek organizations do is an event called “Shack-a-Thon”.  Each organization builds a themed shack outside of the Johnson Center and lives in it for two days while raising money for Habitat for Humanity.  My freshman year, it was pouring rain both days during the fundraiser but it was so much fun that no one even noticed.

Plans: After college, I plan to continue to graduate school in the area and travel.

Why Did You Choose Mason: I visited Mason on a college tour and fell in love with the campus.  It was by far one of the prettiest college campuses that I had been to.  The decision was an easy one, being so close to the nation’s capital with so much diversity and with many opportunities from internships, to jobs, to study abroad programs, I knew that I could be successful in this area.  I was able to sit in on a college theater class on the day of my tour and was extremely impressed with the creative thinking and professionalism of both the students and faculty.  I feel that I am constantly being challenged by professors and fellow students to become better at my craft and express my ideas.  In the communication department, the professors are stimulating and pose thought provoking questions.  They encourage and challenge students to express opinions and ideas.  Overall, I couldn’t have picked a better fit.