Students

These Marines embrace their Mason mission

Colleen Rich — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 13:48:00 +0000

These Marines embrace their Mason mission Colleen Rich Thu, 11/10/2022 - 08:48

Neither Paul Deller nor Michael Harris knew anything about George Mason University before they enrolled in the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program in the Schar School of Policy and Government.

Now, both are Mason boosters.

Two Marine Corps officers from Mason's Congressional Fellowship Program. From left, Michael Harris, Anne Holton, Paul Deller. Photo provided

“Exceptional,” Deller said when asked about his experience at the university. “There are a number of people who teach at Mason who I have heard on some of my favorite podcasts and read about in the news for years. I’m still amazed that I get to learn at an institution where you regularly bump into these people in the hall.”

“Outstanding,” Harris said. “The faculty, staff, and students I’ve met so far have all been amazing.”

Deller and Harris are part of an interesting cohort of 11 Marine Corps officers attending Mason through the Congressional Fellowship Program, which gives Marines opportunities for professional development that include working on Capitol Hill in the office of a member of Congress for one year and enrollment in Mason’s graduate public policy program.

It is another example of Mason identifying educational pathways that meet students where they are, while the university engages them, in this case, on the Mason Square Campus in Arlington, Virginia, which is just six miles from downtown Washington, D.C.

It also is an example of Mason’s commitment to active-duty military, veterans, and their families. With 1,790 Mason students holding veteran certification, the university is ranked as the nation’s No. 1 military-friendly institution by College Factual.

“Mason is unique from other universities I’ve attended or graduated from,” said Maj. TJ Byers, who manages the Congressional Fellowship program and graduated from Mason with an MPP in May 2022. “The professors set us up for success. I even reached back out to them during my year on Capitol Hill to get some technical assistance for some policy stuff I was working on, or with just a generalized question in a field I needed to research.”

For Deller, 35, a major, and Harris, 33, a captain, in the Marines’ Office of Legislative Affairs at the Pentagon, the master’s degree they will receive at the end of the program will prepare them for their year on Capitol Hill and enhance their career prospects in the Marine Corps.

“I’ve always been interested in pursuing a master’s degree,” Harris said. “My undergraduate degree is in economics and the MPP program has an economic policy focus area, so it aligns with my interests. The program will assist in my ability to be an effective liaison between Congress and the Marine Corps. And learning to be a more effective team leader will pay dividends in the future.”

Anne Holton, professor of public policy and education at Mason, has both Marines in her Public Sector Leadership class.

She called Deller “outspoken and chatty” and Harris “quiet and thoughtful.” And though Harris doesn’t speak as often, “when he does, it’s powerful.”

Both of them, Holton added, are “great contributors to the class.”

“The military presence is our classes is significant,” Holton said. “It’s exciting that these folks are taking seriously what it means to be leaders and future leaders.”

And, really, that is what the Congressional Fellowship Program and the MPP program are all about.

“The ultimate purpose is to bring back this knowledge to the Marine Corps and share it with others,” Deller said. “The program isn’t about what I get to take away from it, it’s about how this experience will allow me to contribute to the development of the Marines throughout the remainder of my career.”

Topics

Students

Veterans

Schar School

Master of Public Policy

Congressional Fellowship Program

Schar School News November 2022

Mason doctoral students selected as this year’s Tillman Scholars

Colleen Rich — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 15:15:28 +0000

Mason doctoral students selected as this year’s Tillman Scholars Colleen Rich Tue, 11/09/2021 - 10:15

George Mason University doctoral students LeNaya Crandall Hezel and Lt. Col. Michelle Ruehl are being recognized for their service work and desire to make an impact. The two are part of the 2021 class of Tillman Scholars, named in honor of Pat Tillman, the former NFL star who was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 while serving with the U.S. Army Rangers.

Hezel is a military spouse and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) consultant working on a PhD in sociology, and Ruehl is an Air Force pilot and English teacher working on a PhD in Writing and Rhetoric. The women are two are the 60 scholars chosen from thousands of applicants this year by the Chicago-based Pat Tillman Foundation.

Sociology PhD student LeNaya Crandall Hezel is a Tillman Scholar and a 2021 Stand-To Veterans Leadership Program Scholar. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

LeNaya Crandall Hezel

A classically trained soprano, Hezel is now using her voice to advocate for DEI. During the tumultuous 2020, she started NayceQuest LLC to guide organizations as they discover meaningful ways to be equitable and inclusive.

She said that when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, her husband, who serves in the U.S. Navy, had just returned from a deployment in Djibouti, and at home with her three daughters, she was thinking “How are we going to do this?” She made the decision to step away from her full-time job as the inaugural veterans office director at Georgetown University and be a full-time student.

“Then George Floyd’s death happened, and I couldn't sit on the sidelines and be like, ‘I'm just going to let the rest of the world figure it out,’” said Hezel, who is also a 2021 Stand-To Veterans Leadership Program Scholar with the Bush Institute. “When I recognized where the need and the demands for this work were, I took action.”

Growing up, Hezel had two nicknames, Nay and Ace, which she merged into Nayce for the name of her company. Through NayceQuest LLC, she has been helping organizations move beyond “checking the box” when it comes to implementing DEI in the workplace. For this work Hezel said she is using a sociology lens and institutional ethnography, looking at the differences between “what's being said versus what is actually happening in the day-to-day practices.”

With her dissertation, Hezel again puts the need of veterans and her previous work with the veterans and military community at the forefront as she looks at campus veteran resource centers and whether they have an impact on student academic success, specifically undergraduate student veteran graduation rates.

“My hypothesis is the schools that have the resource center or the dedicated office, they're going to have higher graduation rates,” said Hezel. “But there's no research on that so I hope to fill that gap.”

Writing and rhetoric PhD student and Air Force pilot Michelle Ruehl often taught English as a volunteer during her deployments. Here she is with some of her students in Afghanistan. Photo provided

Lt. Col. Michelle Ruehl

Things move fast in Ruehl’s world, and not just because she is an Air Force pilot. She started her doctoral studies at Mason in 2021 after a year as a White House Fellow where she worked as a speech writer for a number of leaders, including Vice President Kamala Harris.

When she found out her next assignment would be at the Pentagon, working with the Joint Chiefs of Staff for three years, she quickly scrambled to get herself in a PhD program. Ruehl has been teaching English and aviation at the Air Force Academy with two master’s degrees, one in English and another in psychology.

“I've taught now in higher ed for eight years, and I would love to keep doing that,” Ruehl said of adding a PhD to her list of credentials. “[The academy] doesn't require pilots to have a PhD, and I realized, when I get out of the Air Force, I will actually have to compete for jobs with the real professors.”

Even before the Air Force Academy gig, Ruehl was finding her way into the classroom. She tells of flying planes over Afghanistan at night and volunteering to teach English during the day.

As the daughter of a musician and the granddaughter of a choir director, she said she also finds teaching English to be an excuse for bringing in other parts of the humanities, including music. Music really made a difference in one of those Afghanistan classrooms in which she was teaching a group of men.

“They want to learn English so badly that they were willing to kind of put up with me,” said the mother of two. “But they wouldn't look at me.”

To break the ice, she brought her guitar to class and sang a song in Dari that she learned online. “Of course, I was butchering it,” she said of the song.

But soon the students were laughing and asking her where she learned the song—and if she could play Michael Jackson.

“Music was able to break down 3,000 years of cultural differences,” she said. “It took a couple of weeks, but then we could get to the writing.”

After her last deployment, Ruehl and her husband started the nonprofit Parwana LEADership Legacy to honor the friends they lost in the war and the people of Afghanistan. They provide leadership programs to veterans and their families.

She also created a camp curriculum for kids that teaches empathy, active listening and service, often using horses. Each camp session is dedicated to a service member who was lost in Iraq or Afghanistan.

“It felt like the only thing I could do when I came back from my deployment was to find a way to keep saying their names,” she said.

Topics

Students

Tillman Scholars

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Military Veterans and Families Initiative (MVFI)

Office of Military Services

Scholarship helps Mason veteran realize his dream to serve America

John Hollis — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 10:30:00 +0000

Scholarship helps Mason veteran realize his dream to serve America John Hollis Tue, 11/10/2020 - 05:30

First-year graduate student Michael Manges continues to serve with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard while going to school and working full-time. Photo provided.

A strong sense of duty is what led Michael Manges to George Mason University, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship is helping him realize his dream.

A first-year graduate student in the international security program within the Schar School of Policy and Government who also works full time, Manges is one of 158 veterans and active-duty service members awarded a Help A Hero Scholarship this semester. The scholarship is funded through donations collected annually during the Help A Hero campaign at Sport Clips Haircuts locations around the country and has provided 1,750 scholarships totaling $8 million since 2014.

“I didn’t expect to get it when I first applied,” said Manges, who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown last spring with a degree in political science and geography. “It’s just been fantastic. That financial stability has been really crucial for me.”

Manges, 23, grew up in Central City, Pennsylvania, which is just a few minutes from the site where ill-fated United Flight 93 crashed on Sept. 11, 2001, killing all passengers on board after they resisted terrorists who had hijacked their plane. Growing up there instilled strong feelings in Manges about the importance of protecting the nation.

One weekend a month and two weeks out of the summer didn’t seem like much to ask in return for his education, so Manges joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard after he graduated from high school. He spent a year deployed to Jordan from 2016-17 and has been activated in 2020 along with several other members of his unit to help in COVID-19 relief operations.

But his dream of ultimately serving his country in the intelligence or federal law enforcement fields never wavered. Mason’s international security master’s degree program and proximity to Washington, D.C., made it the right choice for him.

“I wanted to find something that would benefit me or my career path,” Manges said. “The Schar School really stood out when looking at programs.”

In addition to taking three classes while fulfilling his National Guard commitments, he’s also working full-time as an intelligence analyst for the U.S. Army and contractor for the Department of Justice.

Now a sergeant, Manges recently signed up for another six-year stint with the National Guard.

“I think things have been going really well,” he said. “It’s been a pretty good experience, and I’m enjoying it. I’m making the best I can of going to school, working full-time and fulfilling my National Guard commitment.”

Military veterans get 'speed mentored' at U.S. State Department

Melanie Balog — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 15:40:28 +0000

Military veterans get 'speed mentored' at U.S. State Department Melanie Balog Thu, 03/21/2019 - 11:40

Government and international politics major and Air Force veteran Sheryl Ann Weatherbee is "speed mentored" at the State Department. Photo by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

Speed was of the essence for seven military veterans who are students in George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government and who were mentored in matters of life and career during a recent visit to the U.S. State Department.

In roughly five-minute intervals, the students were “speed mentored” individually by 13 fellow military veterans, all members of Veterans@State. Members volunteer their time to assist fellow military veterans in early career decisions.

By the end, as students rotated clockwise after each timed conversation, every student had been counseled by all 13 volunteers.

“Our main reason for existing is to support veterans as an affinity group,” said Joseph Giblin, an economic officer in the State Department’s Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement. “As fellow veterans, [the volunteers] have information they can share that might be helpful to both of them.

“It’s a growing process,” the U.S. Army veteran added. “For the mentor, he or she gets to share their experiences; the mentees get to learn from the mentors and benefit from those experiences.”

Mason has more than 3,500 students who are either active military, veterans or members of military families. It also is one of 103 institutions ranked by U.S. News and World Report as among the “best for veterans,” and is ranked as “military friendly” by guidetoonlineschools.com and militaryfriendly.com.

Michael Williams, a nondegree graduate student at the Schar School and a U.S. Marine veteran with leanings toward homeland security, wanted to hear “different perspectives from different departments” at the State Department.

Political science graduate student Ali Nayyef, an infantryman in the Virginia Army National Guard and a 2018 Pat Tillman Foundation scholarship recipient, wanted to learn more about the State Department and the differences between the diplomatic corps and the foreign service.

Michael Williams, a non-degree graduate student and Marine veteran, gains insight about career and education options. Photo by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

Did he gain insight?

“Absolutely,” he said. “I feel I really did have an inside look at the inner workings of the departments and how there are so many diverse opportunities in the State Department as a veteran, as a student and as a scholar.”

The speed aspect of the session was not a drawback, he said.

“I feel like it was a benefit because it forces you to give that elevator pitch, summarizing who you are and where you want to be, and having that ability to communicate that with people who don’t know your background can really be an asset,” he said.

Mason student groups make care packages in honor of Veterans Day

Damian Cristodero — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 21:34:21 +0000

Mason student groups make care packages in honor of Veterans Day Damian Cristodero Mon, 11/12/2018 - 16:34

Members of the Mason community put together nearly 300 care packages for wounded veterans at the Intrepid Center Community Hospital on Fort Belvoir. Photo by Lathan Goumas.

A coalition of George Mason University student organizations came together on Saturday afternoon to make care packages as a show of appreciation for America’s wounded combat veterans.

About 100 people took part in the “Celebrating Veterans Day” event in the Johnson Center Atrium, including representatives of Student Government, cadets from Mason’s ROTC detachment and Mason Veteran Patriots, a chapter of the Student Veterans of America. They collectively assembled nearly 300 bags for wounded combat veterans at the Intrepid Center Community Hospital on Fort Belvoir.

“The veterans give so much to maintain the freedoms we enjoy and make so many sacrifices for us,” said Jasper Swann, a sophomore government major and ROTC cadet who is a member of the Student Senate. “I think it’s good that we take a little time to give back, especially to the wounded veterans.”

Actor David Boreanaz had originally been slated to attend the event, but he had to cancel because a raging wildfire displaced the star of the hit CBS drama “Seal Team” and his family from their Los Angeles-area home. Boreanaz instead sent a video thanking veterans for their service.

His absence didn’t temper the day’s enthusiasm as Jared Lyon, the president and CEO of Student Veterans of America, praised veterans for their contributions across college campuses all over America.

Senior ROTC cadet Jared Aylward said that he couldn’t have picked a better way to spend his afternoon.

“Our service men and women are totally comprised of volunteers,” he said. “We ask them to put themselves in harm’s way, and some of them suffer wounds because of it.”

First Marine Corps Congressional Fellows enrolled in Schar School's Master of Public Policy Program

Melanie Balog — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 10:00:32 +0000

First Marine Corps Congressional Fellows enrolled in Schar School's Master of Public Policy Program Melanie Balog Thu, 11/08/2018 - 05:00

From left, Marine Captains Jose 'Chris’ Romero, Benjamin Leape, Benjamin Broadmeadow, Matt Somers, Jorge "Jay" Hernandez, Josh Culver, Levi Hofts and Adam Link and Major Jason Bowers are the first group enrolled in the USMC Congressional Fellows program at Mason. Photo by Ron Aira

The first students in a new Headquarters Marine Corps program, which makes higher education opportunities available to Marine Corps Officers, began studies in July at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.

Nine Marines are enrolled in the Master of Public Policy (MPP) Program, which provides graduates with the skills in policymaking and analysis necessary for understanding and solving critical problems. Once they have earned their degrees they will serve for a year as legislative assistants to members of Congress.

The Schar School’s proximity to the Pentagon, where the officers are stationed, and its favorable cost efficiencies were factors in the Marine Corps Office of Legislative Affairs choosing the Schar School, said Tres Smith, a recently retired Marine lieutenant colonel who chose the students and is teaching one of the courses.

“The adaptability and flexibility to meet our needs and work around the needs of the Marine Corps were important to make this happen," Smith said. "And the curriculum was tailored to what we needed; that’s what sealed the deal for us.”

“This is a great opportunity for Marines to gain higher education,” said Major Jason Bowers, one of the students. “Three of us already have master’s degrees, but this second one for myself allows me an opportunity to do something more focused on what I’ll be doing in the future.”

The advanced degrees are important to the officers if they wish to move up in rank, Bowers said. “As your rank increases, there are additional requirements, and if you want to be competitive, you really need to have a master’s degree,” he said.

They started their studies this summer with PUBP 503 Culture, Organization, and Technology, a 14-week course that was condensed into just six weeks of instruction.

“Because of their background and rigorous training that emphasizes attention to detail, I had no doubt the class would adapt and excel at this advanced pace,” said Rainier A. Sommer, a professor in public policy and enterprise engineering. “I am quite sure that this first cohort will do just as well in all their other program course requirements.”

The officers will also take courses that will prepare them for their work on the Hill by providing instruction and practice on government processes and policy writing, Bowers said. These include classes that emphasize policy analysis, program evaluation and ethical context, said Bonnie Stabile, the research assistant professor who is director of the MPP program.

“The policy analysis answers the question, ‘What should we do?’ The program evaluation answers, ‘How well did we do it?’ And the ethics asks the question, ‘Should we do it?’” she said.

As part of the fellowship, the officers will also attend congressional sessions and meetings on the Hill.

Two Navy veterans plot similar career paths in statistics

Nanci Hellmich — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 18:42:18 +0000

Two Navy veterans plot similar career paths in statistics Nanci Hellmich Mon, 10/15/2018 - 14:42

“The stats professors are extremely approachable. They help anyone who needs help with the material. It feels like a family within the Volgenau School of Engineering.”

— John Lavelle, statistics major

Jason McAllister (left) and John Lavelle are both Navy veterans pursuing bachelor of science degrees in statistics.

Navy veterans John Lavelle and Jason McAllister have charted the same new career paths for themselves—both want to be statisticians.

Lavelle is in his second year of the undergraduate statistics program offered by Mason Engineering’s Department of Statistics. McAllister is in his first semester.

Although they’re headed in the same direction, they decided to pursue a BS in statistics for different reasons.

Lavelle, who worked in the intelligence field for four years in the Navy, says when he was searching for potential careers in math, he came across statistician, data scientist, and actuary.

“They all had the same thing in common—they need a lot of statistics,” he says. “I love math. I love solving problems mathematically. It’s like doing a big puzzle.”

McAllister, who was in the Navy for 14 years, noticed that statisticians play a key role in the health care company he works for now. “I met a couple of guys in my company who are stats guys, and it seems like everybody is always going to them to figure things out.”

He served as fire controlman in the Navy, maintaining and operating the radar and fire control system of the large guns on the front of the ship. He has an associate degree in electronics.

What impresses him most about the statistics department is the dedication of faculty such as assistant professor Elizabeth Johnson. “She presents the information in an understandable way. It is evident that she is passionate about the field.”

McAllister says he’s already using some of his new skills when hears sports statistics on TV. He finds himself saying, “That’s a great stat, but is the best one they could have used?”

When he has a question about a homework assignment, he consults with Lavelle, who is part of the engineering school’s peer mentor program. “John’s really helpful. I’ve emailed him on the weekends when I got stuck on problems, and he has been responsive to everything.”

Lavelle says he shares insights on things “I wish I had done.”

What he really likes about the statistics undergraduate program is that “the stats professors are extremely approachable,” Lavelle says. “They help anyone who needs help with the material. It feels like a family within the Volgenau School of Engineering.”

“I met a couple of guys in my company who are stats guys, and it seems like everybody is always going to them to figure things out.”

— Jason McAllister, statistics major

Two Mason graduate students named Pat Tillman Scholars

Damian Cristodero — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 09:30:00 +0000

Two Mason graduate students named Pat Tillman Scholars Damian Cristodero Mon, 07/30/2018 - 05:30

Melissa Swensen

One is a survivor of war in Iraq, now driven by a deep love for America, the other a military wife and mother of five who seeks to improve the lives of injured U.S. service members.

George Mason University graduate students Ali Nayyef and Melissa Swensen are part of the 2018 class of Pat Tillman Scholars, named in honor of the former NFL star who was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 while serving with the U.S. Army Rangers.

The two are among the 60 recipients chosen by the Chicago-based Pat Tillman Foundation from among thousands of applicants. The scholarship awards of roughly $10,000 are reserved for military veterans and their spouses and are used for tuition and fees, books and living expenses.

Scholarship recipients are selected for their strength of character, academic excellence and potential, according to the foundation website. Award recipients are expected to apply the best lessons they’ve learned in life and the military to positively impact America in the fields of medicine, business, law, science, education and the arts.

Mark J. Rozell, the dean of Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government, said that Nayyef and Swensen are the kinds of extraordinary students who help make the university special.

“Mason honors those who serve the nation and is very is proud that our students are recipients of the prestigious Tillman Scholarship,” Rozell said.

Nayyef, who is pursuing a master’s degree in political science at the Schar School after earning his bachelor’s at Christopher Newport University, came to the United States in 2010 following the death of his father at the hands of Al Qaeda in their native Iraq. His father had served as an interpreter alongside U.S. military forces in the aftermath of the U.S. invasion of 2003.

“I can apply the lessons I have learned at war and as a refugee, along with my passion for studying international relations, to address many of the security challenges the United States and the world continues to face,” Nayyef said.

All Nayyef

Shortly after the family’s arrival in the United States, Nayyef’s sister, who had also worked as an interpreter for U.S. forces, enlisted in the U.S. Army and served three years on active duty. Nayyef followed suit and enlisted in the Virginia Army National Guard following his own graduation from high school in 2014, and continues to serve as an infantryman.

“Every day I get to wake up and live the American dream because of the bravery of the men and women who came before me,” he said. “I intend on honoring them and this country by living up to my full potential and to give back not only as a soldier, but as a scholar.”

Swensen, who is married to an Air Force major, is working on a doctor of nursing practice in psychiatric mental health in Mason’s School of Nursing after earning a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University. She credits her experiences working and teaching within the military community for her passion for the well-being of service members.

Yet it was her own experience as a patient that opened her eyes to what injured service members endure. Swensen was halfway through her fifth pregnancy when she was diagnosed with heart arrhythmia and medically evacuated from Germany aboard a C-17 transport also carrying service members who had been severely wounded in combat.

Spending several weeks at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C., among the wounded warriors opened her eyes to the physical wounds they suffered, as well as the ones that went unseen.

“The physical wounds heal,” Swensen said. “It’s the emotional wounds they really have a difficult time working through.”

She hopes to focus her education and research on evidence-based treatments in healing both mental and emotional trauma.

“I think it’s really important,” Swensen said. “The military community needs good people who get it.”

Marine combat veteran is part of Mason’s first cyber security engineering graduating class

Melanie Balog — Thu, 17 May 2018 16:03:49 +0000

Marine combat veteran is part of Mason’s first cyber security engineering graduating class Melanie Balog Thu, 05/17/2018 - 12:03

Matt Wilkes (left), U.S. Marine veteran and Mason student who is speaking at Volgenau School of Engineering’s degree celebration, is shown with his family: children Madison, McKinley and Tyler, and his wife Nicole Wilkes. Photo provided.

George Mason University’s Matt Wilkes is at the end of a mentally and physically challenging journey.

The 39-year-old graduation speaker from the Volgenau School of Engineering’s inaugural Cyber Security Engineering class has spent the past three years balancing full-time school, a family and part-time jobs.

It’s hardly been easy, but it beats getting shot at it or nearly killed by incoming mortar rounds exploding all around you, which he experienced during three combat tours during a 12-year stint in the U.S. Marine Corps that preceded his arrival at Mason.

And he’s persevered to tell about both.

“It’s always about hard work and dedication,” said Wilkes, who rose to the rank of sergeant before leaving the service. “What I learned in the Marine Corps is that you have a job, and you’re going to do your job. No matter how hard it is, it’s your responsibility.”

Wilkes enlisted following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and was on the ground for the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003. He added another tour in Iraq three years later in Ramadi before a final deployment to Afghanistan in 2010.

He was asleep in his vehicle one night during his first deployment when the sound of enemy mortars exploding around him jarred him from his sleep. When he jumped out of the vehicle, Wilkes twisted both ankles as he fell and was unable to find either his weapon or flak jacket. He crawled to a nearby foxhole, only to discover there was no available space as enemy shells continued to rain down all around him. Wilkes somehow emerged unscathed.

“It was by the grace of God that I survived,” he said.

After moving to Northern Virginia with his wife and their three children, Wilkes enrolled at Mason in spring 2015 to fulfill a promise to his late mother that he would get his degree. On the first day of classes, he quickly noticed how much things had changed when he pulled out a few notebooks in anticipation of taking notes, only to watch his younger and more technologically savvy classmates all whip out their laptops instead.

“When I first came here, I knew nothing about computers,” Wilkes said. “I could turn a computer on and off. I could surf the web, but I didn’t know any of the stuff that was involved with it.”

Determined to succeed, Wilkes threw himself into his studies with the same aplomb he brought to his service in the Marine Corps. Three active children at home meant staying up late to complete assignments and arriving on campus at 5 a.m. to study for a few hours before class. After school, he would help ferry his children to their various activities such as travel soccer and spend time with his wife.

The journey hasn’t been easy. Nicole Wilkes, his dedicated wife of 13 years, has held down three jobs while her husband has been a full-time student picking up odd jobs when he could to help make ends meet.

Wilkes admits that he was often exhausted and wondered at times if he’d make it through. He recalled similar excruciating mental and physical fatigue during the 13 grueling weeks he spent at boot camp at Parris Island.

“Every day, you had to push yourself at boot camp to make it one more day,” Wilkes recalled. “So you take it week by week, semester by semester just like boot camp.”

Peggy Brouse, the professor for Systems Engineering and Operations Research and the director of Mason’s Cyber Security Engineering Undergraduate Program, comes from a family steeped in military service and was impressed with the tenacity and strength she saw in Wilkes.

“Matt has just been amazing,” Brouse said. “He’s overcome a lot of things veterans go through and he’s been dealing with things that other students don’t have to deal with.”

Matt Wilkes, 39, has served three combat tours: two in Iraq, and one in Afghanistan, where this photo was taken in 2010. Provided photo.

Wilkes quickly got his feet under him in the nation’s first degree program dedicated to the global threat of cyber-terrorism. He graduates with a 3.89 GPA and was one of just two students to receive the program’s Distinguished Achievement Award.

His degree work focused on safeguarding existing financial networks, utility systems and lines of communications and building resilient new ones.

Wilkes hopes his story can serve as a testament to others that anything is possible.

“I hope they can look at me,” he said, “and say, ‘If he can do it after all he’s been through, then I can definitely do it as well.’"

Class was in session at 'Paws for a Cause'

Damian Cristodero — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 09:30:00 +0000

Class was in session at 'Paws for a Cause' Damian Cristodero Tue, 04/10/2018 - 05:30

Dylan Arthur, a senior management major, with his service dog, Bella, who acts as an interrupter when Arthur's post-traumatic stress disorder is triggered. Photo by Bethany Camp.

Bella the service dog, sat at her owner’s feet, silent and attentive.

George Mason University management major Dylan Arthur has had Bella for five years. A former Marines police officer, Arthur was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and four traumatic brain injuries after what he said was a hit-and-run car crash left him with a postcard-sized titanium plate on the left side of his skull.

When Arthur’s PTSD symptoms are triggered, Bella acts as an interrupter and puts a paw on Arthur, licks his face or jumps on him. “Anything to reel me in,” Arthur said.

But Bella, a black Lab-shepherd-husky mix, is a cutie, and strangers often pet her without asking permission, despite that her vest indicates she is a working dog and says “do not pet.”

“And as soon as somebody does that,” Arthur said, “her focus is gone, and she can’t do her job, and that puts my health in jeopardy.”

So Arthur, with the help of George Mason’s office of Disability Services and the Student Health Advisory Board, put together “Paws for a Cause” to educate students, faculty and staff how best to interact with service, therapy and emotional support animals.

“This is like my going-away gift to Mason,” said Arthur, who will graduate in May with plans to open a business with his father refurbishing classic cars. “I would be happy to help set this up again in the future because I believe that continuing this type of education is important to having a well-rounded community.”

“We’re trying to educate the Mason community,” said Jason Northrup, associate director of Disability Services. “We’re seeing more and more students come to campus requesting to have emotional support animals with them in the dorms. We want students, faculty and staff to have a better understanding of when service animals come into the classroom, what guides that.”

Northrup said there are 10-20 registered emotional support animals on campus.

Ten dogs provided by Caring Angels, Sit Means Sit and Summit Therapy Animal Services were at “Paws for a Cause” in front of the Johnson Center on April 3, and each attracted a crowd.

Bella's vest clearly indicates she is a working dog and should not be petted. Photo by Bethany Camp.

“This is when we get to tell people to ask if you can pet the dog,” said Madeline Saylor, a dog handler with Caring Angels. “If the handler says no, then it’s no. It makes a difference when you tell them how to interact.”

Kira Bazemore, a freshman statistics major, agreed.

“I was not aware at all,” she said. “I will definitely be careful in the future. They’re doing a job. They’re not just somebody’s pet.”

Kristine Neuber, an IT accessibility coordinator at Mason, has a Goldendoodle service dog, Grady, who helps manage Neuber’s cerebral palsy with mobility support and by picking up dropped items.

“This is wonderful,” she said of the event. “I’m excited about it, and [Grady] is having a great time because he gets to meet people rather than just staying focused.”

Ultimately, though, focus on its owner is paramount for a service dog.

“Because nobody is petting her or contacting her, she can focus on me,” Arthur said of Bella.

As Arthur’s T-shirt explained: “PTSD does not mean ‘pet the service dog.’ ”