Student Spotlight

Freshman with global worldview ready to tackle her next adventure at Mason

Mariam Aburdeineh — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 00:05:00 +0000

Freshman with global worldview ready to tackle her next adventure at Mason Mariam Aburdeineh Wed, 08/26/2020 - 20:05

Celine Apenteng aboard a boat moving through Hamburg, Germany. Photo provided.

Celine Apenteng may only have one biological sibling, but she regards nearly a dozen people from around the world as her sisters. This “extended family,” as she calls them, and Apenteng’s travels abroad, have had a profound impact on her view of education.

“There’s always something for you to learn,” said Apenteng, whose family has hosted exchange students from France, Moldova and Germany since she was 10. “Even if it’s not something new, the way somebody says something could impact how you think about it.”

The incoming freshman from Silver Spring, Maryland, said she is looking forward to continuing her learning and growth at George Mason University, where she will be a member of the Honors College and a University Scholar majoring in conflict analysis and resolution with minors in intelligence studies and data analysis.

“I’m interested in seeing the different perspectives that people bring to the table and how that will shape me into my future self,” Apenteng said, adding that she hopes to work for the FBI or with Homeland Security.

Why conflict analysis and resolution?

“I’ve seen that a lot of new jobs today that are looking for people who know how to deal with conflict,” she said.

Part of resolving conflict can involve navigating cultural differences, and Apenteng has had experiences that could help position her for success, such as her participation in an exchange program to France in 2016.

Apenteng (left) with exchange student Mia Ola enjoy time in a park in Cella, Germany. Photo provided.

Most recently, Apenteng was awarded a scholarship in her senior year of high school to attend the prestigious Congress-Bundestag Youth Program, a U.S.-German exchange program hosted by the U.S. State Department.

“Being in Germany not only taught me different perspectives and different ways of thinking, but also different ways of solving problems that you don’t see in the United States,” she said. “That, and being able to make friends in different languages and understand people.”

The 11-month program where Apenteng was learning German (she also is fluent in French) was cut short by a couple months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Even so, she said it was worthwhile.

“I never thought that I could do what [the exchange students we hosted] were doing,” Apenteng said. “I learned I’m more resilient than I think.”

In addition to learning from her degree program at Mason, Apenteng said she is looking forward to being part of the virtual learning communities, and experiencing all the university has to offer.

“I’m happy to be at Mason,” she said. “I’m really glad I applied, and I can’t wait for the school year to start.”

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Stats student crunches numbers to pave path to success in class and in life

Nanci Hellmich — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 17:41:01 +0000

Stats student crunches numbers to pave path to success in class and in life Nanci Hellmich Thu, 03/12/2020 - 13:41

“I am so happy I’m here. The Stats Department faculty is amazing. There are so many opportunities and contacts at Mason, and there are so many internship opportunities being close to D.C.”

— Brody Receveur, statistics major

Brody Receveur, a statistics major at Mason, is doing a statistical analysis of the needs of refugees in South Sudan for an Honors College research class.

Brody Receveur knew the odds were good he’d major in statistics at Mason, and his first statistics class confirmed it.

“I had Professor (Elizabeth) Johnson for Stat 260. Some of the first words she said were, ‘In statistics, we play in everybody’s sandbox.’

“I was like, ‘This is what I want to do.’ I knew I had found my place,” says Receveur, who’ll graduate in the spring of 2021 with a BS in statistics.

“I am someone who loves to work in everything, and I have a general interest in helping in all ways I can. The statistics degree provides me a platform to do that on an advanced level.”

He’s going full-steam ahead, inside and outside the classroom.

An Honors College student, Receveur works as a peer mentor for Mason Engineering, serves as co-president of Mason chapter of the American Statistical Association, and in April, he’ll participate in the DC DataFest, a weekend-long data competition in which teams of undergraduates work around the clock to find and share meaning in a large, rich, and complex data set.

He’s also doing a statistical analysis of the needs of refugees in South Sudan for an Honors College research class. His data analysis includes a breakdown of non-food needs, such as emergency shelters and mosquito nets.

To make the data easier to understand, he taught himself geographic information systems, a graphic framework for gathering, managing, and analyzing data.

He says the project is still in its infancy as he works on determining what information will be the most useful for peacemaking in South Sudan. “The whole point of the project is to help as many people as possible,” he says.

Johnson, an assistant professor in the Department of Statistics, says, “Brody is an exceptional student scholar. He loves the research process. He will be attending a highly selective statistical genetics and biostatistics summer research program at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, and also hopes to complete a fall semester abroad at Oxford.”

Receveur’s life is so tightly packed, he has a schedule in his smartphone for every hour of his day. “I’m not someone who is a fan of being bored.”

To balance his number-crunching life, he decompresses by lifting weights, doing Muay Thai kickboxing, cooking, playing guitar, praying, meditating, and playing board games with friends.

Receveur from Fredricksburg, Virginia, says the university has been a great fit for him. When trying to decide between Mason, the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech—he was accepted by all three—he set up a mathematical model to predict which would work best for him.

“I did a weighting system where I weighted different variables in different contexts. After I did the math and Mason won, I breathed a sigh of relief and said to myself, ‘If I knew I wanted to go to Mason, why did I do that?’ ”

No matter how he arrived at his decision, he says, “I am so happy I’m here. The Stats Department faculty is amazing. There are so many opportunities and contacts at Mason, and there are so many internship opportunities being close to D.C.”

Mason is giving him the chance to do what he likes best. “I’m always thinking about numbers, ideas, and big concepts, as well. My brain doesn’t stop.”

Undergraduate takes her passion for peacebuilding to new heights at Mason

Mariam Aburdeineh — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Undergraduate takes her passion for peacebuilding to new heights at Mason Mariam Aburdeineh Wed, 02/19/2020 - 00:00

Junior Lily Krietzberg is studying abroad in Oxford University to learn about trauma healing for post-genocide communities, and intercultural interpretations of justice and reconciliation. Photo provided.

Lily Krietzberg has been passionate about interfaith dialogue since high school. After joining a youth group focused on interfaith work, she said she started her own service project, where she promoted dialogue, peace, cooperation and tolerance among middle schoolers.

“I believe in the power of dialogue to help people overcome their differences,” said Krietzberg, a junior in George Mason University’s Honors College who is studying conflict analysis and resolution.

The New Jersey native who spoke to the middle schoolers at assemblies said she aspires to join the Peace Corps. Her culture’s history motivates her to work toward peaceful solutions, she said.

“There’s so much conflict, especially among the Jewish population and other populations, that I wanted to be a role model,” Krietzberg said. “[I thought], if we can make it work here with these teenagers, we can make it work anywhere.”

Krietzberg with her cohort of Peacebuilding Fellows.

While at Mason, Krietzberg is seizing every opportunity to build up experience for a career in international work or peacebuilding.

This semester, Krietzberg is studying abroad in Oxford University to learn about trauma healing for post-genocide communities, and intercultural interpretations of justice and reconciliation. She is also a School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution Ambassador, has been a Peacebuilding Fellow who interned with the nonprofit MetaCulture, and honed her dialogue facilitation skills as a Dialogue and Difference Project intern. Krietzberg also received a Undergraduate Student Travel Fund Grant from Mason’s Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research (OSCAR) to present her research on “Supporting First-Generation American College Students in the Senior-Year Transition” at a 2019 NASPA conference, which connects student affairs administrators in higher education.

“Going outside of your comfort zone is one of the most crucial things that you can do for your own development,” Krietzberg said, adding that this mindset fuels her go-getter attitude.

Each experience has provided tangible skills she can use moving forward, she said, such as learning how to facilitate a dialogue with people who disagree.

Krietzberg presents her research on "A Trauma-Informed Approach to Gun Violence Safety Training" as a Dialogue and Difference Project intern.

And her classroom experiences have been just as rewarding, she said.

“[S-CAR is] one of the best schools for conflict resolution in the country, if not the world,” Krietzberg said. “There have been so many professors who have been mentors and supporters,” she added, such as Thomas Flores and Patricia Maulden.

“The sky’s the limit for a student like Lily,” Flores said. “With her talent and drive, I can envision Lily working in international development, being a real leader for people around her.”

Overall, Krietzberg is grateful for her education.

“Conflict analysis and resolution is one of the most important and crucial things that you can study,” Krietzberg said. “Even if you don’t want to go into peacebuilding, conflict is everywhere, and we need more people who know how to handle it better in the workplace, in families, in divorce courts.”

Global and Community Health Student Gabrielle Jackson to Study in Brazil with Boren Scholarship

dhawkin — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 19:26:14 +0000

Global and Community Health Student Gabrielle Jackson to Study in Brazil with Boren Scholarship dhawkin Mon, 07/09/2018 - 15:26

By Jiaxi Zhang

Gabrielle Jackson, a sophomore majoring in community health with a Spanish minor, received the prestigious Boren Scholarship, which offers opportunities for highly motivated individuals to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests.

Gabrielle recently returned from her spring semester in Madrid, and she described her study abroad as “transformative.” She has studied Spanish since eighth grade and has always been eager to help others by making a difference in any way she can. With a focus on the social determinants of public health, her experience abroad helped her gain new insights into issues including how factors such as race, affordable housing, access to public transportation, and social support affect health outcomes. This journey not only broadened her horizons but also deepened her passion for helping others, as she loved her experience of working as an English conversation assistant at a local Madrid high school.

Jackson’s strong interest in community health started even earlier—one summer afternoon when she and her mother visited her grandpa in the hospital. When they were in the waiting room, her mother asked her to look around and told her that most people in the same room with them didn’t have healthcare insurance to go a primary care provider. Shocked by that fact, Jackson started researching preventive medicine and the importance of primary care. She came to realize the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and social support to her long-term health condition.

Gabrielle is now in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for her immersive Portuguese language study experience, made possible by the Boren Scholarship.

“I applied to the Boren scholarship so that I could learn Portuguese in the hopes of doing future research on the intersection of race, class, and health within urban areas. Brazil is a wonderful comparison to the United States in terms of its multiracial history, but also in terms of health disparities across race--especially concerning the Black population,” said Jackson. “My trip this summer will not directly deal with this research but learning Portuguese will give me the foundation to study in the future and make cross-cultural comparisons that will hopefully improve health and social outcomes for populations in both nations.”