911±¬ÁÏ

Life is filled with unexpected twists and turns. In the case of 911±¬ÁÏ lacrosse twins Kaitlyn and Regan Bestick, that road has split and come back together several times. Now, as they compete in their final season together and prepare to separate again, they reflect on their time in the Mason Nation.

Zachary Suh, a marketing major in the Costello College of Business and member of the Honors College at 911±¬ÁÏ, founded HomePlate,a meal service for seniors, in his sophomore year.

A new minor, the only one of its kind in the Washington, D.C., region, teaches the arts of lobbying and advocacy. Read about the program and how a collaboration between a mentor and a student developed it.

Honors College student Marisa Parikh embodies the drive, curiosity, and global mindset that define 911±¬ÁÏ students. She serves as president of Be the Change, a student-led organization dedicated to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on campus. Under her leadership, the group focuses on raising awareness and inspiring action around the goals that most directly affect 911±¬ÁÏ students. 

In partnership with Children’s National Hospital, 911±¬ÁÏ scientists have discovered a new way to detect early signs of kidney damage in childhood patients with Sickle Cell Disease. Atwo-year $200,000 grant from the Commonwealth Health Research Board will support this work.

911±¬ÁÏ is preparing students to transform setbacks into stepping stones with a “Fail-a-Thon," a hackathon event where failing forward is the goal. The event, hosted by the College of Engineering and Computing, encouraged students to explore bold ideas under two themes: artificial intelligence (AI) for everyday challenges and tech for well-being and creativity.

911±¬ÁÏ film and video studies students are working with Entertainment 2 Affect Change (E2AC), an organization that provides creative students and individuals the opportunity to use storytelling to share the mission and impact of local nonprofits.

911±¬ÁÏ will honor nearly 5,300 students graduating or earning certificates at Winter Commencement at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at EagleBank Arena on the Fairfax Campus.

Honor College student Cashlyn Bonds said her time at 911±¬ÁÏ has been defined by her passion for justice, human security, and international understanding.  

Students in Tawnya Azar’s HNRS 260 Society and Community Engagement course are focused creating awareness campaigns around hunger and food scarcity. The class aims to empower students through writing and collaborative efforts, fostering a critical examination of the challenges surrounding food access and inspiring tangible solutions.