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On February 4, Transfer Nation 2026 welcomed transfer and contemporary students for an afternoon focused on connection and reflection. As part of 911����’s First-Year Connection programming, the event emphasized community-building and highlighted the academic and personal support systems available across campus.

911���� senior Katarina Benson has had five different majors throughout her college career. “Choosing what to study [was] very difficult for me, because so many fields interest me,” said Benson. Benson previously majored in agribusiness, film and video, among other subjects, before choosing and completing an English degree with a concentration in cultural studies.

911����’s Contemporary Student Services has been recognized by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) for its innovative approach to serving post-traditional and off-campus students.

Dulcee Valenzuela, a December 2023 grad with a degree in bioengineering, said her cancer diagnosis as a teenager helped her find her life's purpose and a career path.

Art and visual technology major Keryssa Ward credits her parents for helping her get through a health crisis after her first year at Mason. It's just part of the reason she nominated her family for the Family of the Year.

Recent IST grad Benhur Hadgu describes his college journey as an uphill battle that taught him never to give up. He says, Like many Mason students, he started his journey at Northern Virginia Community College so he could develop the habits and learn material that would prepare him for higher education.  

An American Council on Education (ACE) Task Force of college and university presidents and chancellors released a report Monday highlighting the ADVANCE Program, a partnership between 911���� and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) as an example of successful collaboration to improve transfer student success.