Student News

Last fall, what began as a hands-on learning experience in Southeast Asia became a journey that took five George Mason University students to the heart of global food policy—and left a mark along the way.

George Mason University graduate student Logan Messer had no shortage of family or friends on hand as he capped his wrestling career at the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championships at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Competing just 40 miles from his hometown, Messer delivered a moment years in the making on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

With the launch last year of the nonprofit Rise Above & Be Relentless Foundation, graduating Master of Global Policy and Commerce’s Sumeya Gibril created the support she wishes had been there for her. The inspiration for the charity, she said, “is me.”

The Schar School welcomed its first cohort into the newly launched National Security and Public Policy master’s program.

For George Mason University baseball player Evan Blanchard, success isn’t just measured in hits and RBIs. During his internship with Mason Athletics’ marketing department, the third baseman helped design a promotional campaign that brought hundreds of fans—and a surge in attendance—to a men’s basketball rivalry game.

CSS’s monthly Student Parent and Caregiver Meetups were recognized with the NASPA Adult Learner and Students with Children Knowledge Community’s Outstanding Undergraduate Student Parent Program award for these meetups.

Gabriella Grabovska came to the United States in 2022 just after Russia invaded her homeland of Ukraine. The Kyiv native’s first visit to the United States was as a George Mason University student in the Schar School of Policy and Government. Now, four years later, she’s leaving with ambition, experience, and a clear mission.

In spring 2024, during his internship with MHCR, Jonathan Fang and his supervisor, Rowda Olad, a mental health and psychosocial support expert and associate director of the MHCR, came upon the idea of developing a series of student-focused conversations on difficult, but relevant topics to students and inviting different cultural and ethnic student groups to participate.

George Mason University’s Ilia Malinin had a resounding performance at the 2026 World Figure Skating Championships in Prague that resulted in his third consecutive world championship.

A project in a health administration graduate course, taught by Associate Professor Renee Geschke, built AI literacy and deepened students’ understanding of how AI influences leadership, communication, and team dynamics in health care.

Life is filled with unexpected twists and turns. In the case of George Mason University 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.

In February, George Mason University Dining, in partnership with the Office of New Student and Family Programs, hosted a Teaching Kitchen designed specifically for first-year and transfer students. The 50 available spots filled immediately, a clear signal that today’s students are looking for connection, not just consumption.