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During her time at the School of Business, Nancy Sydnor, BS Marketing ’99, formed lasting friendships among her classmates and instructors. “Starting at Mason in my 40s and further along in my career, I was nervous about fitting in,” she says. “But everyone was so welcoming and helpful. My Mason experience was immensely positive.”

Growing up in Paris, France, Ava Nia, BS Marketing ’19, fondly recalls coffee breaks paired with delicious baked goods. A passion baked at a young age ultimately inspired her to establish Baked à la Carte, a business she runs while also balancing the pursuit of an MBA at Mason and working fulltime as a marketing business partner at CGI.

When it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Darin Simmons Jr. MBA '11, recognizes there’s challenging work to be done, work that won’t be accomplished overnight.

CPA sisters Beth Arnold, BS Business Administration ’80; Lynn Green, BS Accounting ’82; and Martha Bayer, BS Accounting ’85 are all �������� School of Business graduates.

Fresh off being announced as recipients of the 2021 Greater Washington GovCon Contractor of the Year (Up to $25 Million), Kreative Technologies’ co-founders and owners, Adnan Karimi and Nazia Karimi, shared some of their lessons learned after growing the company together from the ground up.

When Lamar Crosby was a student at the School of Business, the Black Alumni Chapter grabbed Crosby’s attention through their annual golf tournament. His participation and interaction during the tournaments was noticed by the Chapter and they contacted him shortly after he graduated, encouraging him to run for office on their board.

Jason Howell, BS Accounting ’97, has written a new book titled Joy of Financial Planning: 7 Strategies for Transforming Your Finances and Reclaiming Your American Dream.

As chief global officer of global operations at Marriott International, Erika Alexander often finds herself relying on the skills and knowledge she obtained while studying at the �������� School of Business.

Sumeet Shrivastava, EMBA ’94, has been dedicated to the success of the School of Business and �������� ever since he became a Patriot. Shrivastava, also president of the �������� Alumni Association, has established the Shrivastava Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Endowment to recognize student leaders from underrepresented groups who are contributing to diversity and inclusion at Mason.

Always looking for an edge, Giovanni Rodriguez would scan website after website for scholarships and other opportunities. His persistence paid off when he was announced as the undergraduate recipient for the Emerging Business Leader Award in 2021.