Buzz McClain

Government and International Politics

Beyond Books: How a Schar School Senior Turned an Internship into a Legal Education

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 17:08:27 +0000

Beyond Books: How a Schar School Senior Turned an Internship into a Legal Education Andrew J Schappert Mon, 08/11/2025 - 13:08

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Phillip Mink

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The first time Erika Burkard was in a courtroom as an intern for a law firm, the presiding judge asked her to introduce herself before the session began.

Erika Burkard’s advice for finding internships: Try everything that’s interesting. ‘You have time to investigate it. Don’t rush into it.’ Photo provided

“I stood up and said, ‘Good morning, ma’am.’ And she said, ‘It’s “Your Honor.” And I was like, ‘Oh, dang it!’”

Whoops! But that teachable moment is just one example of the myriad details the government and international politics senior in the Schar School of Policy and Government absorbed during an internship that not only supplemented her college education but confirmed that the practice of law was indeed her calling.

“I learned a lot of these really rigid things that you wouldn’t ordinarily recognize that I’ve been exposed to from interning,” the �� Honors College student said. “It’s been a really valuable experience. I’ve seen a lot of interesting litigation, and the fact that I’m allowed into these closed courtrooms has been an invaluable advantage.”

Finding an internship at a law firm “is really tricky,” she said. “A lot of the time you need certain qualifications, or you need to know someone who knows someone. And they’re normally looking for law students.”

With the encouragement of Assistant Professor Phillip Mink, who directs the Schar School’s Patriot Pre-Law program, Burkard did what she calls “the most old-fashioned version of finding experience you possibly can”: the cold call. She didn’t call just one or two law firms in the Richmond, Virginia, area where she lives but “roughly 30 to 40. I don’t mind endurance.”

Finally, she called Cravens & Noll, a well-established personal injury and family law firm with offices convenient to her home. After an interview, she landed a paid summer internship.

That was last summer, 2024. She returned to the firm during the winter break and again this summer, with plans to return in December during the 2025 winter break.

“Her internship with a superb law firm is a crucial component of her education as it combines hands-on experience with a law practice and the challenging intellectual work she has done as an undergraduate,” said Mink. “With backgrounds in both sectors, she is well-positioned for success in law school and the practice of law. I look forward to following her progress in both.”

She has many strengths, Mink added, “but I will never forget her core philosophy of improving her work, constantly experimenting with new ways to approach a problem.”

Burkard’s internship contributes to her legal studies minor in countless ways. During her time at Craven & Noll, she has assisted attorneys, paralegals, and clients by drafting court communications, estate documents, divorce filings, and even assisting in a memorable wrongful death suit involving a nursing home.

She has sat in on litigation, trials, and hearings and provided real-time assistance to counsel. And she’s travelled to nearly every court in Virginia, speaking with judges, clerks, incarcerated clients, the Commonwealth Attorney, and others.

“I fell in love with even the mundane procedural things that need to be done at law firms, because all of it contributes to a much larger picture,” she said. “Even if it’s just taking a client’s phone call.”

In addition to her studies and internship, Burkard is executive administrator of the campus Alpha Phi chapter, which raises funds for the study of women’s heart health. Among other duties, she writes memos at meetings, something she knows a bit about.

“It’s funny how my job at a law firm goes straight into my sorority stuff,” she said.

While the process of landing an internship required dogged persistence, Burkard knows her efforts paid off. She advises incoming students, her advice is to “go on Mason360 and take advantage of the activities, meetings, speakers, because that’s how I narrowed down what I was most interested in. I had thrown around the idea of pre-law, but it wasn’t until I had gone to a pre-law meeting at the Schar School that I realized this is something I want to do. And you have time to investigate it. Don’t rush into it.”

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Former Governor Robert McDonnell Joins Faculty of ��’s Schar School of Policy and Government

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 17:01:39 +0000

Former Governor Robert McDonnell Joins Faculty of ��’s Schar School of Policy and Government Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/06/2025 - 13:01

The Schar School of Policy and Government at �� welcomes former Virginia governor Robert F. (Bob) McDonnell to the faculty as a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Practice. A seasoned public servant with a deep background in law, governance, business, law enforcement, and military service, McDonnell brings nearly four decades of practical experience to one of the nation’s most dynamic public policy schools.

Bob McDonnell: ‘After 38 years of public service and with experience in the military and business, I hope I can inspire students to dream big, be responsible, and treat people with respect.’ Photo provided

McDonnell served as the 71st governor of Virginia from 2010 to 2014. Prior to that, he held statewide office as Attorney General after spending 14 years in the Virginia House of Delegates. His background includes substantial leadership in areas ranging from transportation and education reform to economic development and criminal justice. He also spent four years as a manager with a Fortune 500 health care company. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame (BBA), Boston University (MSBA) and Regent University, (JD, MA), McDonnell also served 21 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1997.

With his appointment, McDonnell joins a growing list of senior lawmakers and practitioners contributing to the Schar School’s distinctive blend of academic rigor and real-world insight. His addition to the faculty will enrich classroom conversations with firsthand perspectives on legislative processes, intergovernmental relations, and executive decision-making. Students studying public policy, law, and political leadership will benefit from his unique ability to bridge theory and practice.

“Governor McDonnell's appointment offers our students the opportunity to learn from his vast experience in state government,” said Mark J. Rozell, dean of the Schar School. “As a school of policy and government, we benefit from a unique combination of traditional and professional faculty members working together to advance our community's understanding of key policy issues and governing challenges. The governor’s addition to our faculty further strengthens that model and enhances the real-world perspectives we bring into the classroom.”

McDonnell grew up in Fairfax County, home of George Mason’s Fairfax ��, and has seen the evolution of the university from a small college to a major research institution with more than 40,000 students.

“I care deeply about Virginians, and George Mason is the largest public university in Virginia with the widest reach and many well-established programs,” he said. “I look forward to contributing to a highly respected government and policy school on the doorstep of Washington, D.C. After 38 years of public service and with experience in the military and business, I hope I can inspire students to dream big, lead well, and treat people with respect.”

McDonnell will also be a featured speaker at Schar School public-facing events, joining fellow Schar School faculty in contributing to the school’s thought leadership in forums that reflect the school’s commitment to informed policy dialogue.

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Meet the alum who probably made your George Mason shirt

Katarina Benson — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 18:50:38 +0000

Meet the alum who probably made your George Mason shirt Katarina Benson Fri, 07/18/2025 - 14:50

If you were given �� branded gear of any sort since 2006—from hoodies and tees to Hawaiian shirts and bucket hats—chances are good that Mike Ickowitz, BA Communication ’03, had something to do with creating it.

The 2003 alum was destined to market his alma mater. That destiny began early, when he was a freshman and recruited to work in the Admissions Office as a tour guide.

His fate as a Patriot salesman was cemented when, challenged to show his ability to generate school spirit during sports events, he donned a fuzzy green costume to become the lovable mascot known as Gunston (later replaced by the familiar Patriot).

Now Ickowitz is a custom merchandise merchant with a 3,000-square-foot manufacturing complex in his native Knoxville, Tennessee, and a client list with universities, businesses, and governments around the world. He is founder, with his wife, Tanya, of Patdome Promotions.

Mike and Tanya Ickowitz with Patdome George Mason gear. Photo provided

The couple met in the Admissions Office while working to introduce prospective students to George Mason. Ickowitz’s Patriot roots run deep. Even the name of the company is a nod to George Mason: It’s a comic abbreviation of the former name of EagleBank Arena—the Patriot Center, where Ickowitz worked as a student.

“I worked in the parking lot,” he said. “It’s the greatest position from a student’s perspective. I worked before and after events, and in between I saw just about every show.”

Patdome Promotions began as a side hustle for the couple. In 2006, when George Mason was making a run at the [NCAA men’s basketball] Final Four, the only place in the world to get a [NCAA] shirt was the bookstore, he said. “And they were sold out because of the demand.”

In fact, after knocking off No. 1 seed UConn in overtime in the Elite Eight game, the line to the bookstore was a mile long, he said. “It snaked out the back of the Johnson Center, around the pond, and around Patriot Circle for a shirt that was sold out.”

So Ickowitz created GMUGear, a dot com that became the university’s first e-commerce site. “If you didn’t live in Northern Virginia and wanted a shirt, GMUGear was just about the only place to get one,” he said.

While the Ickowitzes were reasonably profit motivated, he priced the merchandise “so that the average fan could get George Mason memorabilia at an accessible price,” he said, adding that he always intended to spread the George Mason brand focused on the fan while building a business. It’s a philosophy, he said, that still drives the business nearly 20 years later.

Ickowitz finds deeper meaning in his work than selling giveaway swag.

“I want our product to be on your shelf,” he said. “I want people to ask you about it. I want you to love it so much that you have it 20 years later. It’s the tangible part of the Mason spirit.”

He’s particularly proud of the reach of Patdome into the Mason Nation. “From the drawstring bag that a student receives on a tour to the graduation stole they wear four years later, and lots of branded giveaways in between, Patdome is a proud silent partner of George Mason, working with incredibly talented professionals on campus who maintain the Mason spirit from admission to graduation and beyond.”

Ickowitz is an example of a student who made the most of his college career. A brief television appearance as Gunston led to an offer to substitute during public appearances for the departing actor who was G-Wiz for the NBA Washington Wizards and Slapshot for the NHL Washington Capitals. “And I was the full-time mascot for the [WNBA] Washington Mystics in their first season,” he added. “All because I was Gunston.”

Now the Ickowitzes are a two-generation George Mason family. The couple’s daughter, Rachel, is a University Scholar in the Honors College and a rising junior. She was recently named the 2025 Outstanding Sociology Undergraduate Student at George Mason.

“We’re very proud of her,” her father said.

Mike Ickowitz and Patdome Promotions will present an educational seminar for university staff on branded products Thursday, July 31, at the Johnson Center Bistro; session one runs from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; session two runs from 1-2:30 p.m. Admission is free, but registration is required at this site.

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Hina Kazmi: Meet the Schar School Alum Who Is Launching ‘Intro to Space Policy’

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:55:13 +0000

Hina Kazmi: Meet the Schar School Alum Who Is Launching ‘Intro to Space Policy’ Andrew J Schappert Thu, 07/17/2025 - 11:55

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Hina Kazmi: ‘We’re expanding our access to space, and it has become critical infrastructure—but what does that mean policywise?’ Photo provided

Hina Kazmi, after seeing Voyager 1’s images of Saturn: ‘I knew I was going into aerospace.’

When you ask Hina Kazmi if she would ever like to live in a colony on the moon, her answer is quick and enthusiastic.

“Oh, I would absolutely do that,” she said. “Do they need a tester for the first flight to Mars? I would do that too.”

It’s not a farfetched question to ask Kazmi. The Schar School of Policy and Government at �� adjunct professor is set to teach a new course, Introduction to Space Policy, beginning in August with the start of the 2025 fall semester. It’s one of the rare courses in the country that will bring the growing fields related to space exploration—and exploitation—into the classroom.

The course is designed to support a broad range of public policy interests, Kazmi said. Those interested in international and national security, engineering, business, public administration, and other topics will find the course useful in their academic pursuits and future careers.

“When you think of space,” she said, “you think of commercial startups and Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk launching their rockets. That’s the fun stuff. But beyond that excitement there are huge national, international, and commercial aspects to this industry.”

As more of the business of space falls into in private hands, there comes a need for clear, informed, and educated thinking on public policy, she said.

“In the past, [space activity] was government controlled, but now it’s commercially available for navigation, weather prediction, communications. We’re expanding our access to space, and it has become critical infrastructure—but what does that mean policywise?”

As an example of the field’s growth, the tiny island of Bahrain, where the Pakistan native spent her middle school years, has a space agency. “Every country now sees this as important,” she said.

Kazmi, an engineer by training who at one point was leading programs for NASA, developed a fascination for space in 1980, when the interstellar craft Voyager 1 sent its first images of Saturn back to Earth from some 800 million miles away. The astronomical event made an impression on the young scholar.

“I knew I was going into aerospace,” she said.

Kazmi earned her undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering, with a minor in mathematics, in 1993 from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona.

She also holds a master of business administration degree. After rising through the ranks in technical and management roles at major private and public aerospace leaders, she began teaching at George Mason, revitalizing a dormant course in managing government contracting.

Realizing her future was in academia, she earned a master of public policy degree from the Schar School in 2008, followed by a PhD in public policy in 2016. She received the Joseph A. Fisher Award for best PhD dissertation.

“I really believe Gen Z, who is in college now, and Gen Alpha behind them will be the space generations,” she said. “Space tourism, living in space, working in space, moon colonies—all of that is happening. We’re in the very, very early stages of it.”

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Alumna Whitney Woods to Lead Denver Domestic Violence Survivor Center

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 17:41:55 +0000

Alumna Whitney Woods to Lead Denver Domestic Violence Survivor Center Andrew J Schappert Mon, 07/07/2025 - 13:41

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Whitney Woods, a 2007 graduate of the Schar School of Policy and Government’s renowned government and international politics program—known for preparing students to lead in complex policy environments—has been appointed executive director of the Denver-based Rose Andom Center, a comprehensive resource center supporting survivors of domestic violence. The announcement was made earlier this month.

Whitney Woods: ‘When I came to visit, it was a picture-perfect weekend and felt like something out of movie. George Mason turned out to be a great fit for me.’ Photos provided

For Woods, née Phillips, the new position at the helm of Colorado’s first family justice center is a fitting next chapter for someone whose career has already included high-stakes crisis communication on Capitol Hill, work with the White House, and strategic leadership across government and philanthropy.

The Colorado native chose �� in 2004 “because I wanted to go to college very far away from where I grew up—it was important to me,” she said. “I knew I wanted to work in government someday and George Mason had a great program.”

Woods, who minored in conflict analysis and resolution in an accelerated degree program, was also interested in studying international policy.

“If I decided to go that route, I wouldn’t need to change schools,” she said, an observation that underscores one of the Schar School’s defining strengths: housing both political science and international affairs under one interdisciplinary roof.

But it was the tour of the Fairfax ��—a leafy hub of innovation and buzzing with student life—that was the deciding factor.

“When I came to visit, it was a picture-perfect weekend and felt like something out of movie,” she said, recalling the campus vividly more than 20 years later. “George Mason turned out to be a great fit for me.”

Whitney Woods Alpha Xi Delta’s 2006 recruitment event

The Schar School’s proximity to key institutions in nearby Washington, D.C., was another draw. “It was close to the city but not in it,” she said. “It felt like a small community even thought it was really connected to not just the larger community, but to the world.”

That proximity paid off: While balancing her coursework with roles as a Mason Ambassador—giving campus tours to prospective students—and an active member of Alpha Xi Delta, a Schar School professor helped her develop a resumé and encouraged her to apply for internships on Capitol Hill, despite her only experience being retail work.

That nudge led to a 2007 internship with U.S. Rep. John Barrow (D-GA) and an extended stay on Capitol Hill until 2013, rising through the ranks, ultimately serving as communications director for U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) until his retirement in 2013.

In that role, she helped shape national narratives and dealt with the world’s major media outlets during a series of historic moments: the assassination of Osama bin Laden, the government shutdown, Hurricane Sandy, the Sandy Hook school shooting, and the death of Muammar Gaddafi, among other generational milestones.

“When I eventually went to work in Congress, I often thought of how interesting it was that our [government] framework remained the same—three branches—but that so much else had changed,” she said. “My [Schar School] degree provided a solid foundation for understanding how our government is supposed to work and the intention behind its design.”

As she begins her new role leading the Rose Andom Center, Woods is drawing once again on the values and vision she developed in Fairfax where, she said, “I really grew up there and found my independence, and who I wanted to be.”

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Government and International Politics

Schar School BA in Government and International Politics

Master of Public Administration

South of the Border, Deep in Policy: Study-Abroad Students Tackle U.S.-Mexico Relations in the Field

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 14:01:12 +0000

South of the Border, Deep in Policy: Study-Abroad Students Tackle U.S.-Mexico Relations in the Field Andrew J Schappert Mon, 07/07/2025 - 10:01

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Derek M. Mills

Michal McElwain Malur

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George Mason’s study-abroad cohort visits the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México’s landmark Central Library. Adjunct professor Derek M. Mills is at right. Photo provided

You could feel the weight of geopolitics in the air as 15 �� students stepped onto the worn stone of the Plaza of Three Cultures, where centuries of conquest, revolution, and resilience converge. The students weren’t just tourists with backpacks and bottled water. They were emissaries of inquiry—and there would be a quiz.

Over a weeklong intensive in Mexico’s bustling capital, the students—most from George Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government—immersed themselves in the multifaceted knot of issues that define United States-Mexico relations. The students were eager to see firsthand elements of theory learned in classrooms: Migration, trade, national security, and the still-rippling effects of a second Trump administration.

“Throughout the program, students were encouraged to approach the experience not merely as observers but as engaged policy analysts,” said Derek M. Mills, the Schar School adjunct professor who led the trip. “The course, U.S.-Mexico Relations in the Age of Trump, provided an experiential lens into the historical, political, and economic complexities shaping bilateral ties.”

The group took deep dives into policy briefings with diplomats at the U.S. Embassy and with business leaders at the American Chamber of Commerce. They sat in on discussions at the Mexican Federal Congress and exchanged ideas with their counterparts at the prestigious Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

They weren’t just studying policy. They were living it.

A highlight was meeting Schar School alum Jose Loyola-Trujillo, who earned his PhD in public policy in 2005. Loyola, once Mexico’s undersecretary of energy, is now head of international affairs for LIGA MX—the top-flight Mexican soccer league.

Students also visited Casa de los Amigos, a migrant shelter that pulls no punches in portraying the human cost of border enforcement.

Another stop took the students to a nonprofit dedicated to empowering marginalized, refugee, and forcibly displaced people and families by means of a range of support programs. In fact, meeting the staff at New Comienzos “and hearing from returning migrants was inspiring to see how resilient they are and how that connects to the deep ties between Mexico and the United States,” said Jackie Tuala, a master’s student in public administration. “It was my favorite visit.”

There were lessons in history and humanity at every turn—from the pyramids of Teotihuacan to the testimonies of deportees. But there was also room for forward-looking policy dialogue.

In Cuernavaca, south of Mexico City, the group met with the Secretary of Tourism Josefina Rodriguez Zamora, who didn’t mince words about how U.S. political rhetoric affects Mexico’s global image. When U.S. media parrots terms like “rapists” and “murderers,” the official said, the damage isn’t abstract—it costs Mexico tourist dollars, jobs, and dignity.

Students also toured AirDesign and FloraPlant—two export-focused companies where the granular details of tariffs, supply chains, and sustainability initiatives became tangible.

“The trip brought the issues we study in class to life. I loved how everything—from policy debates to cultural sites—was tied together,” said Stella Lovelady, a master’s student at George Mason’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

As the Trump administration 2.0 begins to cast long shadows over cross-border cooperation, the students came away with a clearer, more nuanced perspective, as well as a deeper sense of responsibility.

“Experience is crucial to our students’ professional development as future public, private, and nonprofit leaders,” said Michal McElwain Malur, Schar School’s external program director, who accompanied the students for the week.

“By engaging directly with these issues on the ground, they build the kind of informed, empathetic understanding that will shape them into thoughtful leaders in our increasingly interconnected world,” she said.

Study abroad is a vital and highly recommended component of a Schar School education. Questions on future classes can be directed to McElwain Malur at mmcelwai@gmu.eduand be found on the Schar School of Policy and Government Study Abroad page.

Students visit the U.S. embassy in Mexico to gain insights into the life and work of a diplomat. The students were briefed on issues of the day and saw in real time what they studied in classrooms. Photo by Ibis Perez.

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PhD Public Policy

From the White House to Borough Council: Brandon Ledford Makes Local Government Matter

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 15:02:59 +0000

From the White House to Borough Council: Brandon Ledford Makes Local Government Matter Andrew J Schappert Wed, 06/11/2025 - 11:02

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Brandon W. Ledford doesn’t do things halfway. By day, he’s the senior vice president and general manager of MGT, a public-sector consulting firm that helps state and local governments tackle everything from cybersecurity to compensation fairness.

Brandon Ledford: ‘You can have a much bigger impact locally … It doesn’t take, literally, acts of Congress to get things done.’ Photo provided.

By night—well, evenings and weekends—he puts his 2011 Schar School of Policy and Government master of public policy (MPP) degree into practice as vice president of the Borough Council in Dormont, Pennsylvania, a community of 8,000 bordering Pittsburgh.

As it happens, the borough manager, John Stinner, is also a Schar School graduate. (See Stinner’s story on this page.) The two did not know each other at ��.

“When he said we had the same degree, I thought he meant an MPP, not necessarily an MPP from George Mason,” Stinner said.

For Ledford, being a councilmember is personal.

At age 9, Ledford was diagnosed with the African form of Burkitt’s lymphoma, an incredibly rare and aggressive cancer. He was the third known case in the United States—and the first to survive.

But survival came with consequences. His mother, forced to miss work to care for him, lost her job. That was just as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was being passed, and a pro bono attorney helped her fight for reinstatement.

“We were on public assistance because of medical bills,” Ledford said. “So, growing up, I got to see government protecting folks in their neediest, and I wanted to dedicate my life to this.”

While earning an MPP degree with concentrations in science and technology policy at George Mason, he interned for a semester at the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, a perfect fit.

After graduating with his degree, Ledford, 41, spent years in federal government consulting, working for Deloitte U.S., Booz Allen, and now MGT. But he never lost his belief in the power of local government.

In Dormont, as a councilperson (there are seven) and chair of the public safety, building and code enforcement committee, he’s championed initiatives such as a façade grant program to revitalize the town’s business district and, particularly, a robust family leave policy for borough employees.

“You can have a much bigger impact locally,” he said. “The time from idea to implementation is way shorter. It doesn’t take, literally, acts of Congress to get things done.”

Ledford has lived and worked in the highest levels of government. But in a town where he knows his neighbors and can see change happen firsthand, he’s found where he can make the biggest difference.

“It started with wanting to be involved in politics,” he said. “But when we had our first daughter, I really liked the community we were in. I thought, ‘We can do great things here.’”

The Schar School is working to assist those considering careers in government, nonprofit, and government-adjacent organizations by offering application fee waivers, discount pricing, flexible and customizable courses, and other programs. Find out more about “upskill” and retooling certificate and degree programs at this webpage.

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Master of Public Policy

BS in Public Administration

Graduating Senior Anna Garren: Commencement, Leidos, Hopkins, and Beyond

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 05 May 2025 16:17:31 +0000

Graduating Senior Anna Garren: Commencement, Leidos, Hopkins, and Beyond Andrew J Schappert Mon, 05/05/2025 - 12:17

It’s going to be a whirlwind week for graduating senior Anna Garren.

Anna Garren: ‘The Schar School degree really helped expand my worldview.’ Photo by Jennifer N. Victor/Schar School of Policy and Government

On May 10, she moves into her first apartment. Five days later, she’ll don cap and gown at ��’s EagleBank Arena to receive her bachelor of science degrees in public administration, from the Schar School of Policy and Government, and computational and data science from the College of Science.

Three days after that, she starts her new job at the Reston, Virginia-based government contracting giant Leidos, where she’ll work in the Artificial Intelligence Accelerator.

And the very next day, she begins her master’s degree program in artificial intelligence at Johns Hopkins University’s Whiting School of Engineering.

Garren, 21, is used to managing big transitions with poise and purpose. She grew up in Fairfax, Virginia, home of George Mason, but she began her college career more than 200 miles away, at Roanoke College, where she was a third-generation student and her grandfather, Kenneth R. Garren, had been a dean (he retired in 2001).

Initially a computer science major, she quickly realized she wanted a broader, more interdisciplinary focus. She transferred to George Mason as a sophomore and declared a double major in computational and data sciences and public administration.

“I always knew I wanted to go into STEM,” she said. “But after taking government classes in high school, I added the political science aspect.”

She was further inspired by the passing of her high school legislative bill project—regarding a special needs indicator on state vehicle registration—actually being passed into law by the Virginia legislature.

That hybrid identity—analytical and civic-minded—has been her hallmark at George Mason. And at the Schar School, Garren found not just challenging coursework but a welcoming and supportive community. In fact, the community she found was a higher education highlight for her.

“Definitely the relationships I made with my professors and peers,” she said when asked what stands out from her time there, adding that her two terms as part of Associate Professor Jennifer N. Victor’s Politics Research Lab was a particular highlight.

Anna Garren, left, and mentor Associate Professor Jennifer N. Victor. Photo provided.

In that setting, Garren, who was also a teaching assistant, was part of a collaborative environment where undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty work on real-world political science research—sometimes for credit but always for impact.

Not surprisingly, Garren has made an impression on one of her professors.

“Anna’s eagerness to meet the world’s challenges head-on should make the world’s challenges very nervous,” said Victor, the university’s 2025 Faculty Mentor Excellence Award winner. (An aside: Garren is the 2025 OSCAR Student Excellence Award winner.)

“She is a remarkable student,” Victor added. “Her combination of deep knowledge and interest in politics and government combined with her incredible skills in computational and statistical programming make her one of the most sought after students I’ve ever worked with.”

Outside the classroom, Garren took her passion for technology and education into the community, volunteering as coach for the robotics team at Centreville High School, her alma mater. During peak season, the team, a certified nonprofit organization that offers STEM training to middle and elementary schools, consumed about 20 uncompensated hours a week. The squad also competes in the prestigious international FIRST Robotics competitions.

“It’s a lot,” she agreed in a tone that mixes understatement and pride, adding that she also substitutes on occasion as a teacher at the school.

In addition to her double-major course work, her volunteer hours with Victor’s lab, and her high school robotics club, Garren completed four summer internships at various units of the Department of Defense.

Ask her what she’ll miss most about George Mason and her answer is fast—“the Schar School,” specifically the people and the intellectual exploration of government and politics, even as she pivots into the sharper tools of data science and AI.

“The Schar School degree really helped expand my worldview,” she said. “The type of brainwork in data science is different than in political science classes, and I’ll miss that.”

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From Vietnam to Virginia: Duy Vu’s Remarkable Journey to the Commencement Stage

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 15:38:56 +0000

From Vietnam to Virginia: Duy Vu’s Remarkable Journey to the Commencement Stage Andrew J Schappert Mon, 04/28/2025 - 11:38

As the rows of soon-to-be graduates fill EagleBank Arena in a sea of green and gold at the May 15 Commencement ceremony, all eyes will turn to senior Duy Vu, who will take the podium as the student commencement speaker. For Duy, the honor to represent the graduating �� student body is the culmination of a seven-year journey that began half a world away.

Student Commencement speaker Duy Vu: ‘During my studies I learned about looking at things from different perspectives, how to think about decision-making, beliefs, and ideologies.’ Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

His story—and his advice to his graduating classmates—is worth listening to.

Duy came to the United States as a 15-year-old high school student, following his father, a deputy defense attaché for the Vietnamese government, to Washington, D.C. The transition, Duy admitted, wasn’t easy and his command of English was rudimentary.

“My grammar was strong,” Duy said of his language training in Vietnam, “but I could barely communicate when I first got here.”

He resolved to come to George Mason with a new attitude and develop the confidence to make the most of his time as a college student.

“I told myself I would make college a worthwhile experience,” he said. “I’d try everything. I’d step out of my comfort zone.”

The start was slow—Duy and his undergraduate classmates are likely the last cohort to have endured the COVID-19 campus shutdown—and by his junior year, Duy realized time was running short.

“That’s when it hit me: I have two years left. If I don’t do something now, I might not get another chance,” he said.

Duy transformed his campus experience. He dove into extracurricular student life by joining campus organizations, including serving as treasurer of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) and vice president of finance for Beta Theta Pi, before starting his own Registered Student Organization (RSO), George Mason’s first-ever Pool Club. Pool, as in billiards.

“I just started enjoying the game,” he said. “There wasn’t a club, so I made one.”

The Pool Club quickly evolved into more than a casual hangout, with the team meeting at the tables at the Hub’s Corner Pocket game room, hosting tournaments, and traveling to other schools for competitions.

Joining organizations, besides being fun, expanded Duy’s world view. As treasurer for ALPFA, he learned the ropes of networking and professionalism. “It helped me understand the etiquette and skills needed in the business world,” he said. “And I got to learn from peers who were already finding success.”

Duy Vu majored in two bachelor of science programs, public administration and finance. Photo by Julia Conway/Schar School of Policy and Government

On top of his nonclassroom activities, Duy is a double major graduating from two bachelor of science degree programs: The Schar School of Policy and Government’s comprehensive public administration program and the Costello College of Business’s robust finance program.

He signed on to public administration thanks to his father’s suggestion.

“I wasn’t sure about it at first,” he said of the public administration major. “But during my studies I learned about looking at things from different perspectives, how to think about the way beliefs and ideologies play into a government’s decision-making.”

The Schar School professors also revealed to him a new-found fascination with “the financial and economic side of things,” he said, which is vital to creating successful public policy. “And that’s when I declared a second major in finance.”

Throughout his time at George Mason, Duy balanced a double-major’s-worth of classes—and all the reading, writing, and exams that go along with two majors—with organizational leadership activities with classmates and a part-time job at the Schar School’s Aquia headquarters on George Mason’s Fairfax ��, where he supported students for nearly four years as an office assistant.

“I’ve worked with Ms. Colette since my sophomore year,” he said of K. Collette Lawson, the longtime Schar School administrative and technical coordinator. “It was my first ‘real’ experience outside of school. It’s going to be hard to leave.”

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Schar School BS in Public Administration