Students

Since Michael Riggi was about six years old, his father and brother would take him to a “Cars and Coffee” show in Great Falls, Virginia, on weekends. Being around classic automobiles and luxury vehicles, Riggi said he developed an appreciation for cars, and other machines that go fast, including planes, boats, and rockets.

Now, as a junior at George Mason University, his career path has also been racing forward.

George Mason University alum and author Kelli Jo Ford, MFA Creative Writing '07, is the recipient of one of this year's National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowships in Creative Writing.

George Mason University men’s basketball players D’Shawn Schwartz and Blake Buchanan, both School of Business graduate students, say their friendship helps keep them focused on their studies.

Mason graduate student Deion Maith joined Mason’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Task Force because he thinks it’s important to share lived experiences with other students and faculty/staff.

Mason alum Alexander Hammett recently received Miami Indie Films’ Best Director Award for directing “Tale of Tarot,” a film written by fellow Mason alum Aaliyah-Janay Williams.

Mason senior Eva Noroski spent a month assisting alumna and Elephant Trails keeper Ashley Fortner at the National Zoo, researching elephant sleep patterns.

On average, pre-pandemic, around 45 Mason Korea students had been studying at the Fairfax Campus each semester. The program peaked at 84 students this fall, but they expect more than 100 students this spring.

Lily Patterson knew she wanted to make things when she began her studies at George Mason University.

“I just wanted to turn physical things into something that’s really cool and awesome,” she said.

Mason doctoral student Tanya Boucicaut wants to explore the nexus between hip-hop culture and Black Church culture in her native Virginia Beach, and she wants to do it in a documentary that looks at two major music festivals.

Students in Honors 261 Bridging the Digital Divide put together an advocacy campaign as part of Digital Inclusion Week to raise awareness about the divide.