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911�� Giving Day 2026: Asking Mason Nation to lace up for community impact

Katarina Benson — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 14:50:05 +0000

911�� Giving Day 2026: Asking Mason Nation to lace up for community impact Katarina Benson Mon, 03/02/2026 - 09:50

April 2 heralds the return of 911�� Giving Day. This annual celebration of community and generosity is a 24-hour sprint where 911�� alumni, friends, faculty, staff, students, and families of 911�� come together in a network of support, where every gift makes a difference.

The yearly event has been known as Mason Vision Day in recent years; 911��’s Office of Annual Giving has returned to the Giving Day title to emphasize the real impact of each gift. They hope this year’s Race Day theme will energize and inspire the university’s donor community to lace up and give.

“Giving Day is an event we look forward to with the same energy and anticipation that defines a race day,” said Elijah Rosenthal, director of annual giving. “Just as every runner plays a role in a race, every donor helps drive our shared progress toward a meaningful finish.”

The Office of Annual Giving has a goal in mind: “We want to surpass last year’s participation, hoping to welcome more than 2,000 donors this year,” said Rosenthal. The day will feature matching and challenge gifts, social media campaigns, and campus-wide involvement, including on-campus recognition for faculty and staff, and an evening alumni/community celebration.

Supporters can “warm up” before the event by pledging their pace at givingday.gmu.edu, where they can even make a gift before April 2, fueling the causes that are most important to them. “There are so many impactful initiatives at 911��, and Giving Day is about the power of each donor to support the causes that they are passionate about, from academics to athletics, performing arts to research,” said Rosenthal.

Most of all, he added, it’s about racing toward 911��’s future and crossing the finish line together.

Pledge Your Pace for Giving Day

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Love, Legacy, and the Arts: How Rick Davis and Julie Thompson are shaping the future of Mason Arts

ckearney — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 17:39:05 +0000

Love, Legacy, and the Arts: How Rick Davis and Julie Thompson are shaping the future of Mason Arts ckearney Thu, 01/15/2026 - 12:39

Dean Rick Davis and Center for the Arts Executive Director Julie Thompson joke that, even among their College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) colleagues, some people don’t realize that they are married. Now the proverbial cat is out of the bag.

College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean Rick Davis and Julie Thompson, executive director, Center for the Arts. Photo by Emily Rusch/CVPA

They’re not only married but were college sweethearts, meeting during their undergraduate days at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. The arts have played a role in their relationship from the start; Davis chuckled when recalling that their courtship even included a pre-requisite stint at The Troupe of American College Players, Thompson’s father’s summer stock theater in Colorado.

That was back in the 1980s, making it clear that long-term commitments are a hallmark of Thompson’s and Davis’s characters. Davis has been at 911�� for 34 years, serving as CVPA dean since 2015 and as executive director of the Hylton Performing Arts Center since August 2011. Thompson became the executive director for the Center for the Arts on the Fairfax Campus in 2007, but has served in other capacities at the university, including as a faculty member in the graduate Arts Management Program, for nearly 30 years.

They have recently ensured that their longstanding legacies will continue to enhance, nurture, and grow the arts at 911�� through a planned gift with multiple designations. The $700,000 estimated gift will support the Give Voice initiative for the renovation of the Center for the Arts; Center for the Arts programming; the Hylton Performing Arts Center Endowment; the William Reeder, Founding Dean Endowment in the Arts; and the establishment of the Rick Davis and Julie Thompson Theater Scholarship Endowment.

The main motivator for the gift is the renovation of the Center for the Arts on the Fairfax Campus, “something that Rick and I are emotionally involved in,” explained Thompson. “It’s been there for us all these years as well as for the college and the university.”

The Give Voice initiative is a $35M fundraising effort to renovate and modernize the Center for the Arts, seeking to improve and enhance the venue’s ability to support the needs of artists, audiences, and CVPA students and faculty. It will include technological and acoustical upgrades, improved accessibility and sightlines, additional aisles on the orchestra and balcony levels, a remodeled lobby, expanded teaching and rehearsal spaces, and more.

Davis invoked former university President George Johnson (1978-1996), who asserted that the arts are the front door to 911��. “The arts pique the interest of the broader community and give them ways to interact with the university that they otherwise might not have had,” said Davis. The Center for the Arts is the hub of artistic performances, classes, and university events, and Davis observed that it’s “getting creaky” after admitting more than 6.5 million audience members since its doors opened in 1990.

Thompson and Davis agree that Mason Arts—the community of staff, faculty, students, artists, musicians, and performers and the audience they attract—is one of the tangibles that makes 911�� “all together different.”

“The arts here are so dynamic,” said Thompson, “we’re not into a set pattern of things. We’re always looking at how to reinvent, and look at things differently, which is exciting. And I think that’s what’s kept Rick and me here much longer than we’ve probably ever anticipated: the fact that [it is] such a dynamic place.”

Both Davis and Thompson were quick to credit Susan Graziano, senior director of development for CVPA, who helped them realize that they could make even more of an impact through a planned gift than they originally thought.

They encourage members of the 911�� community—whether faculty, staff, alums, parents, or longstanding friends—to consider making a gift to the university. “If you have been paying attention,” Davis said, “you know that Mason does more with less than many other institutions.

“A philanthropic dollar at 911�� has so much more immediate impact than a philanthropic dollar almost anywhere else,” he continued. “You see how much good Mason does for people. You see how you’re changing lives. And we are excited to imagine how our legacy gift will keep that spirit going for a long time to come.”

In This Story

Rick Davis

Julie Thompson

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College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

Costello Scholarship Luncheon

Costello Scholarship Luncheon showcases growth in named scholarship funding

Katelynn C Hipolito — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 20:39:51 +0000

Costello Scholarship Luncheon showcases growth in named scholarship funding Katelynn C Hipolito Wed, 12/17/2025 - 15:39

The Costello College of Business at 911�� recently announced a significant increase in scholarship money awarded to students—$1.3 million for the 2024-25 academic year—$500,000 of which went to named scholarships. Over the past five years, both the total amount of scholarship funding and the number of students who have received Costello scholarships have more than doubled.

Costello scholarship recipients. Photo by Hannah Patterson/Costello College of Business.

As outlined by Ajay Vinzé, interim provost and executive vice president of 911��, priority number one at Costello is student readiness and career preparedness. “Scholarships play a huge role in the success of our students,” he said.

Costello celebrated donors and scholarship recipients on November 18 at the annual Costello Scholarship Luncheon. The luncheon featured an inspiring lineup of speakers whose lives and careers have been shaped by scholarship support. Mitchell Cho, founder and CEO of FedWriters, Inc. (FWI), and a proud 911�� alum, shared his journey. As a student, he said, he was not the overachiever some might assume. What he did have was persistence and grit. Today, as a member of the Corporate and Community Partners Program, Cho views scholarships as an investment in the future. “Supporting scholarship is not just about philanthropy for us,” he said. “It’s about investing in the future.”

Longtime donor Jim Beers, retired managing partner of Beers & Cutler, encouraged students to keep pushing forward toward their dreams. “It’s so important what you’re doing now—and it will be even more important after you graduate,” he said.

Sandra Flores, BS Business Analytics ‘23, MS Business Analytics ‘25, Historian of the Costello Alumni Chapter, speaking at the Costello Scholarship Luncheon. Photo by Hannah Patterson/Costello College of Business.

Current students also shared their heartfelt reflections.

“Something I really appreciate about Costello is how it helps us grow,” said Iman Choudry, recipient of the Robert Amy Scholarship.

Historian of the Costello Alumni Chapter Sandra Flores, BS Business Analytics ‘23, MS Business Analytics ‘25, credited her donor’s generosity for making her dreams possible. “I made a promise that I would give back when I can,” she said.

“I made a promise that I would give back when I can,” she said.

— Sandra Flores, BS Business Analytics ‘23, MS Business Analytics ‘25, Historian of the Costello Alumni Chapter

While the speeches inspired and provided valuable insights, the luncheon’s greatest asset was bringing students and their donors together to express gratitude, network, and to ask questions. Many of the donors once stood in the shoes of the recipients, facing similar challenges.

Costello scholarship donors and Costello Alumni Chapter members. Photo by Hannah Patterson/Costello College of Business.

The Costello Scholarship Luncheon is a proud tradition, celebrating both student achievement and the generosity of donors. With the named scholarship funding continuing to rise, the Costello College of Business is sending a clear message that their business is student success.

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In This Story

Ajay Vinzé, PhD

Sandra Flores, '23

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Corporate and Community Partners Program

Costello College of Business News

Costello College of Business Scholarships

Costello College of Business Alumni

Costello College of Business Students

Students

Adaptive baseball hits a home run at 911��

Katarina Benson — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 21:04:21 +0000

Adaptive baseball hits a home run at 911�� Katarina Benson Tue, 12/16/2025 - 16:04

In a first for any university in the United States, visually impaired baseball players are getting a chance to step up to the plate at 911��. Led by a volunteer coach and University Life’s Mason Recreation and Disability Services offices, Mason’s Beep baseball initiative is gaining momentum after a successful community learn-to-play clinic last fall.

Beep baseball allows blind and visually impaired batters to listen for a loud beep coming from a ball pitched by a sighted pitcher. Photo by Paul Bazzano/Mason Recreation

The adaptive sport of Beep baseball allows blind and visually impaired batters to listen for a loud beep coming from a ball pitched by a sighted pitcher. If the batter hits the ball, they run to one of two buzzing bases. If they touch the base before the ball is fielded, they’ve scored a run. It’s a game that prioritizes communication, teamwork, and athleticism. This initiative supports 911��’s efforts to build an inclusive community where all students are valued and have meaningful ways to participate, connect, and belong.

“Beep baseball is a fantastic way for Mason to tap into some underserved populations via athletics,” said Paul J. Bazzano, assistant director of competitive sports with Mason Recreation. “Beep baseball brings together students, staff, and community members in a meaningful way. It’s about creating space for inclusive play and laying the groundwork for something that can grow far beyond campus.”

Bazzano said that it is also providing opportunities for 911�� as there really are no collegiate Beep baseball programs. “But we have had some conversations with other schools interested in forming their own teams.”

The addition of Beep baseball to Mason Recreation represents the fulfillment of a lifelong passion of a 911�� philanthropist, the late Dr. Barry R. Berkey, through the vision of his wife, Velma Berkey. She proposed the idea to Bazzano and sponsored the three-year pilot program.

The beep baseball initiative by Mason Recreation is the first of its kind. Photo by Paul Bazzano/Mason Recreation

“My husband’s dream was to become a major league baseball player, but he became a doctor instead,” Berkey said. “In later years Barry’s vision gradually deteriorated, which greatly impacted watching and enjoying his favorite sport. We became very sensitive to visually impaired and blind kids who may be in the same position. After my husband passed away, I delved into reading about Beep baseball, which inspired me to present the sport to 911��.”

Berkey said the 911�� community has an opportunity to be an innovator and leader by bringing this sport to campus and the region. “The team can serve as a model for other colleges and universities, serving as a mentor further down the road for high schools and Little League teams.”

Jeff Rhines, head coach of the Philadelphia team that won the 2024 Beep Baseball National Championship, helped arrange Mason’s first learn-to-play clinic. Alfonso Medrano, head coach for a Houston-based team, also provided valuable input. Students and members of the surrounding community who participated described it as a fantastic community-building experience.

“We had two blind students who thoroughly enjoyed it and said they would definitely do it again,” said Naomi Martinez-Jones, director of Disability Services at 911��. “We also had some of 911��’s baseball team help and participate. It was great for everyone to have that connection with each other.”

911��’s long-term goal is to build a competitive team made up of students, staff, and community members to play in tournaments and events sanctioned by the National Beep Baseball Association. As a first step, Mason Recreation is working to connect with other teams and recruiting a volunteer coach. There are plans to offer more training and networking events and launch a sustainable, inclusive team with regular practices and programming.

To learn more, reach out to Bazzano at pbazzano@gmu.edu.

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College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Driving community spirit: Kathy McKay's impact on 911��

Katarina Benson — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:44:25 +0000

Driving community spirit: Kathy McKay's impact on 911�� Katarina Benson Tue, 12/16/2025 - 07:44

Kathleen (Kathy) McKay has deep ties to Fairfax, Virginia, her hometown. Her parents, James "Smilin’ Jim" and Ruth Averill McKay, were pioneers in the Fairfax business community; her father opened Jim McKay Chevrolet in 1956, becoming one of the first car dealers in the area.

As student athlete at Woodson High School, she grew up near 911��'s burgeoning Fairfax Campus. “I played field hockey, I played softball, and I was a swimmer,” she said.

McKay with Mason basketball players on the K. McKay Court. Photo provided by Mason Athletics

Much of that swim experience took place at a neighborhood club, where her own daughters still hold records from the 1990s. After graduating from James Madison University, she returned to Fairfax.

McKay is now the president of Jim McKay Chevrolet, a sponsor for many student activities and sports at 911��, and Intercollegiate Athletics has been at the heart of her personal connection with the university. Since the mid-1990s, she’s been an avid Patriots fan, attending many men's and women's basketball games, including the ones out of town, often with her daughters and now her grandchildren.

“I’ve always been a sports person,” McKay said. “I love college athletics; it’s the excitement. This is something that the athletes really, really want to do, and so few make it [to this level].”

She also appreciates the role college sports plays in bringing a community together. “It’s everything. No matter what your preference is, we offer every sport to allow a fan to be involved.”

McKay's support extends far beyond the sidelines. She has been a generous donor to 911�� for nearly 20 years, serving as a member of the Patriot Club Advisory Board and in the Green Coat Society, which recognizes generous, multi-year donors.

In 2017, she made a leadership gift to the university's basketball fundraising campaign, resulting in the naming of the K. McKay Court at the Recreation Athletic Complex (RAC). Her philanthropy has included substantial gifts—in conjunction with the family-linked Richard W. Averill Foundation and Jim McKay Chevrolet—to a variety of 911��’s teams, including a pledge that touched all 22 sports teams during an annual Mason Vision Day.

She has also made gifts to the College of Visual and Performing Arts' scholarship benefit ARTS by George! and to the Green Machine ensembles.

“Kathy McKay embodies the spirit of 911�� and the Northern Virginia community,” said Marvin Lewis, assistant vice president and director of Intercollegiate Athletics. “Her loyalty and generosity have touched every corner of our program—from cheering courtside to investing in opportunities that enrich the student-athlete experience. Kathy’s passion, rooted in family and community, reflects the very best of what it means to be a Patriot, and we’re incredibly fortunate to have her in our corner.”

McKay and President Washington. Photo provided by Mason Athletics

McKay carries on a family tradition of philanthropy and community service—911��’s Jim McKay Natatorium in the Aquatic and Fitness Center on the Fairfax Campus, a regional resource that includes a 50-meter Olympic-sized competition pool, bears the name of her father. She is continuing that tradition and is encouraging a culture of connected philanthropy through her own children: her daughter, April, and son-in-law, Matt, are also active supporters of 911�� Athletics.

McKay has been there for some of basketball’s biggest moments.

She remembers being warmly welcomed by the men’s basketball team, including then-coach Jim Larrañaga and his wife, Liz, when she traveled with the team to the ESPN Events Invitational Thanksgiving tournament in Orlando, Florida, in 2007. She also attended Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) Tournaments at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, including “during COVID, in March 2020, [when] we got sent home after winning our first game.”

McKay was also in the front rows at the Robins Center in Richmond when the men’s basketball team defeated the University of Richmond to claim the 2025 A-10 regular season title, the team’s first. That same season saw Patriots Head Coach Tony Skinn, whom McKay had known since his undergraduate days, named A1-0 Coach of the Year.

“Tony was my pick from day one when we were searching for a coach,” she said.

With a grandson in tow, McKay traveled in March 2025 with the women’s basketball team to Richmond for the A-10 Women's Basketball Championship, where 911�� defeated St. Joseph’s to claim the title for the first time.

“I couldn’t not go, and they win this thing—because I really thought they could,” she said.

She also joined the women’s team for the España 2025 cultural and athletic expedition, where the Patriots played international opponents in Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona. With her on the trip was her eldest granddaughter, who has been attending games with McKay since she was six months old.

“Riley and I had a time together that neither one of us will ever forget!” she said.

She plans to enjoy as many games and team activities as she can fit on her calendar. “I love it!” she said. “I’m always looking at the schedule to see who’s playing what.”

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A legacy of resilience: New scholarship helps students persevere to get their degree

sholla4 — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 20:46:17 +0000

A legacy of resilience: New scholarship helps students persevere to get their degree sholla4 Thu, 11/06/2025 - 15:46

“What advice would you give to someone who’s in the process of understanding and knowing their worth?” Amany Bouali asks her mother.

“Everyone one of us has a lot to give and a lot to receive. You are so precious, and you are worth this world and more,” Zeineb replies.

It’s a bittersweet interlude on Amany Bouali’s album Came from Something: Her mother, Zeineb Mrad Bouali, passed away not long after recording. She was a student in 911��’s MA in English program.

Amany (left), Fathi, and Ons hold a photo honoring Zeineb at Ons' graduation from Elon University. Photo provided

Inspired by their mother’s determination, Amany and her sister, Ons, and their father, Fathi, created the Zeineb Mrad Bouali Tenacity and Perseverance Award for students who have had to pause their educational goals and are now hoping to return to complete their degrees.

Zeineb called herself an “avid life wanderer,” her daughters said. A mother, a daughter, an educator, a poet, a cake decorator, and a business owner, Zeineb wore many hats throughout her life. But she had one dream waiting to be fulfilled: completing a master’s degree.

Before immigrating to the United States, Zeineb was an accomplished English teacher in her home country of Tunisia. But like many immigrants, her credentials didn’t transfer upon her arrival in the U.S.

“Part of my mom’s struggle in this country was all the barriers that are in place for immigrants to start a business, go back to school, resume where they were in their country,” explained Ons. “She had to start her college education from scratch.”

Throughout her life she tried returning to school to be reaccredited, periodically taking classes at University of Texas at San Antonio, 911��, and Northern Virginia Community College. Life just kept getting in the way of a formal degree program.

But Zeineb cared deeply about her daughters’ education. “Her whole life's dream was watching us succeed. When we went on college tours and got acceptances, she was so excited,” said Ons. “She was beside herself with happiness when the acceptance letters came in.”

“That was her moment,” agreed Amany. “It meant so much more to her than it could have ever meant to me.”

Zeineb in from of the Department of English offices. Photo provided

And it was her daughters who encouraged Zeineb to try for her master’s degree one more time. “Our mom put her whole life on hold to make sure we could achieve our dreams,” said Ons. “And once we were older, we told her that it was time for her to go after her dreams.”

With support from then-graduate admissions coordinator of the Department of English Holly Mason Badra, Zeineb applied and was accepted into the MA in English program in 2021, where she planned to pursue a concentration in literature. She passed unexpectedly from complications due to a rare autoimmune disease in September 2022. This is the inaugural year for the scholarship honoring her legacy.

“I hope my mom’s story inspires the recipients to be resilient and to find a way to achieve their dream no matter the obstacles, even if it doesn't look exactly like they planned,” said Ons. “I want them to think, ‘what would Zeineb do?’”

“We want the scholarship to give people from diverse backgrounds who have these additional challenges they’re facing a bit of additional support and kind of ease that burden from them, so they can persevere like our mom did,” said Amany.

This year’s inaugural awardees honor Zeineb’s legacy through their determination to achieve their dreams despite major setbacks.

Hyerin Cha

Major: Global affairs

Photo provided

When Hyerin Cha was a child, she and her family were displaced from their home in South Korea after a major tragedy. Rebuilding from those early hardships shaped her deep commitment to education and community service. “I’m always trying to learn something” she said. “Because of the lack of resources around me, I had to teach myself.”

Driven by curiosity and compassion, Cha grew into an active advocate for equitable education. She has served as a STEM and coding mentor for underprivileged children, an NGO strategy coordinator, and a volunteer leader in community development initiatives both in Korea and abroad. “Giving back through education became my way of honoring the help I once needed,” she said.

Knowing early on that she wanted to work in policymaking, Cha chose Mason Korea for its global connections and focus on international governance. Balancing her studies with part-time jobs to fund her education, she continued to excel academically and serve her community.

As a Mason Korea student, she was required to complete a year at the Fairfax Campus, but her student visa limited her ability to work. The Zeineb Mrad Bouali Tenacity and Perseverance Award provided crucial support, allowing her to continue her studies and complete her degree.

“This scholarship didn’t just relieve a financial burden, it reaffirmed my belief that perseverance and purpose matter,” she said. “It reminded me that I’m on the right path, and that I can keep going.”

Andrea Delgado Portillo

Major: Criminology, law and society

Photo provided

Andrea Delgado Portillo and her family immigrated to the United States in 2017. Despite being approved for a green card and completing her high school education in Virginia, Delgado Portillo did not qualify for in-state tuition and was ineligible for federal financial aid.

After graduating from high school in 2020, she completed three semesters at Northern Virginia Community College, paying out-of-state tuition. Already facing financial strain, she was forced to pause her education when her mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2022.

“My primary focus shifted to providing for her both financially and emotionally, and after my money ran out, going back to school was out of the question,” she said.

But Delgado Portillo, a first-generation high school graduate, had dreams of studying criminology and law and being the first in her family to get a college degree. “My community doesn't have a lot of representation in law enforcement,” she said. “When my mom went through a domestic violence incident, she didn’t have anyone to translate for her. I want to be able to help people like that in my community.”

While supporting her mother through treatments, she saved money whenever she could in the hopes of returning to college. After a two-year gap, she applied to 911�� to finish her degree.

“[911��’s] financial aid office helped me be accepted for in-state tuition and showed me where to apply for scholarships,” she said. The Zeineb Mrad Bouali Tenacity and Perseverance Award was one of her awarded scholarships.

“With the scholarship I was able to pay for books, parking, and part of my tuition,” she said. “I hope one day I can pay their generosity back, maybe through supporting another immigrant student who, like me, had a dream they were struggling to achieve.”

Delgado Portillo plans to graduate in Spring 2026.

“When I came here [to the United States], I knew nothing, not even how to say, ‘how are you?’” she said. “Now, I’m going to graduate from college. Hopefully, my mom is going to see me walk across the stage.”

Zeineb Mrad Bouali: A remembrance, a celebration, a legacy

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Students

The Mats Hormel vQ scholarship endowment is making a difference in the lives of Mason LIFE Students

ckearney — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 16:45:56 +0000

The Mats Hormel vQ scholarship endowment is making a difference in the lives of Mason LIFE Students ckearney Mon, 09/29/2025 - 12:45

“It has transformed the life of my child in remarkable ways and helped them discover the strength and resiliency that was always inside them.” This sentiment is common among families whose young adults attended 911��’s Learning Into Future Environments (Mason LIFE) program.

The Mason LIFE cohort processing into EagleBank Arena during the College of Education and Human Development's Degree Celebration. Photo provided

Now even more students will be able to take part in the program, thanks to the financial support provided by the Mats Hormel vQ Scholarship Endowment.

This scholarship endowment is provided by Tommy Everett and Sarah Hormel Everett in honor of their son, Mats Von Quillfeldt, a former Mason LIFE student. The scholarship was established to help defray the costs associated with attending Mason LIFE, including tuition, fees, housing, textbooks, and related expenses. Scholarship awards are given to both incoming and continuing Mason LIFE students and are based on a student’s demonstrated financial need.

The Everetts have made a $1.2 million pledge to expand the existing Mason LIFE scholarship. The Mats Hormel vQ Scholarship Endowment will now offer two full-ride scholarships for the program, doubling the financial support previously provided.

Mason LIFE is a comprehensive four-year postsecondary transition program in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) that offers young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities a full university experience in a supportive academic environment. The Mason LIFE program focuses on research, academic progress, community involvement, employment and housing with the goal of gaining independent living skills. The impact of Mason LIFE on students who participate in the program is nothing short of transformational.

Von Quillfeldt, who completed the program in May 2020, captures the essence of what the Mason LIFE program is all about.

“College changed my life. I would not be able to work full time or have my own apartment with two roommates without my Mason LIFE experience,” Von Quillfeldt said. “Mason LIFE taught me how to cook, shop, do my laundry, be respectful of my roommates and be on time to classes and work. I learned to plan my daily life.”

In addition to his academic work—he said his favorite subject in college was Early American History—Von Quillfeldt held an internship on Capitol Hill, where he performed administrative duties in a congressional office. He traveled to and from Capitol Hill on his own using the Metro bus and subway system.

His mother, Sarah, highlighted the positive impact that the Mason LIFE program had on him. “It is amazing to have gone through this whole process with him. Even during his junior year in high school, I would not have imagined him to be able to live independently. This is an incredibly unique program. Just having this inclusive setting for these young adults is priceless.”

His father, Tommy, concurred, adding, “Mason LIFE opened our eyes to what he could do.”

Through the shared experience of living together, learning together, working together, and supporting one another, students in the Mason LIFE Program build important skills that help them in living a more independent life. They earn a certificate of completion at the end of the program.

Linn Jorgenson, associate professor of special education at 911�� and director of Mason LIFE, has dedicated herself to the program’s success.

“Our students participate in academics, they participate in the community, they have a work component, and they have the option to live in campus housing,” said Jorgenson.

Jorgenson points out that some students begin the Mason LIFE program feeling apprehensive. For many, like Von Quillfeldt, it is their first time being away from home and making certain decisions on their own. As they begin their educational journey under the guidance of Mason LIFE faculty and staff, these same students quickly acclimate to their new surroundings, and their sense of independence begins to develop. Their self-confidence grows stronger as they progress through the Mason LIFE program and are exposed to new experiences.

Noah Miller, a Mason LIFE student from 2018 to 2022, spoke highly of the program, highlighting the life skills he acquired, particularly in Mason Life’s independent Living Course. “All four years I lived on campus in the dorms. That's how I learned to be independent,” Miller said. “Cooking for myself, getting along with my roommates—all the good stuff.”

Miller appreciated his other classes too, especially those in sport management. His enthusiasm leaves no doubt about how much he valued his time at 911��. “College was the best,” Miller said. “I enjoyed 911�� a lot. Not only getting to be in the Mason LIFE program but also getting to explore other classes as well.”

The faculty and staff of Mason LIFE routinely hear from the families of students who are grateful for the life-changing opportunity their students received, many because of the generous financial support provided by the Mats Hormel vQ Scholarship Endowment.

“My hope for a person who completes the Mason LIFE Program is that they learn who they are and that they live a life that they had hoped for whether that is independent living, working, contributing, or just being part of a world that they had hoped to be part of,” said Jorgenson.

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College of Education and Human Development

Gift from Charles Schwab Foundation Will Help Develop Next Generation in Certified Financial Planning

Katelynn C Hipolito — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 13:34:26 +0000

Gift from Charles Schwab Foundation Will Help Develop Next Generation in Certified Financial Planning Katelynn C Hipolito Mon, 08/04/2025 - 09:34

911�� has announced a generous multi-year commitment from Schwab Advisor Services in partnership with the Charles Schwab Foundation to grow and strengthen 911��’s Financial Planning and Wealth Management Program (FPWM) and to position it to meet the region’s strong demand for certified financial planners.

“Our partnership with Schwab Advisory Services is an extraordinary benefit for our students,” said Ajay Vinzé, dean of the Costello College of Business. “Charles Schwab’s engagement with the college has given our students valuable insights into the personal finance industry, and this grant will help to attract and retain world class talent to lead the program and bring it to the next level.”

Costello’s FPWM program was launched in 2019 in response to a growing need for financial planners and wealth managers, particularly in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region. The Charles Schwab grant will allow the college to strengthen its ability to meet this demand by establishing a dedicated faculty member with certified financial planning (CFP) experience to lead operations within FPWM, teach key courses, and to deepen relationships within the CFP industry.

“Charles Schwab is an enthusiastic partner to business education institutions, including the Costello College of Business,” said Jon Beatty, head of Schwab Advisor Services. “Costello students include those with backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in the financial planning and wealth management profession, and we share the college’s vision of developing these students into qualified professionals who will be able to serve the diverse clients in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.”

The Costello FPWM program benefits from its association with the college’s Financial Planning and Wealth Management Advisory Board, comprising 911�� and Costello alumni, business professionals, individual supporters, faculty, and NextGen Board members who link students with industry veterans. The board has developed the program in consultation with more than a dozen registered investment advisor (RIA) and financial planning firms in the Northern Virginia region. FPWM students graduate from 911�� with a bachelor of science degree in business, with a concentration in financial planning and wealth management.

“Our objective is to create the next generation of financial planning professionals,” said David Johnson, chair of the Financial Planning and Wealth Management Advisory Board.

“With cross-pollination from Costello’s finance and accounting academic disciplines, our graduates will possess the technical skills, soft skills, and ethical grounding that will launch them into successful careers.”

In This Story

Ajay Vinzé, PhD

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