Honors College

Incoming Mason freshman and EIP graduate Muhammad Farhan Babar is no stranger to helping others.

As a child, Nathaniel Socks said he was restless, and could often be found tapping his hands on nearby objects. His mom enrolled him in drum lessons in second grade, he said, which led to his favorite hobby—one that taught him valuable life lessons.

“I got to see how if you put in hard work and dedicate yourself to something really hard, how cool the product can be,” the incoming George Mason University freshman said. “That was one thing that really got me into drumming—you can see the progression of practicing.”

Mason’s Honors College has expanded an initiative launched last year to help cultivate an anti-racist community through discussion groups. The program, called “Honoring Our Community,” provides opportunities for students to have honest conversations about racial and social justice with the goal of cultivating an anti-racist culture and tighter sense of community.

With 80,000 streams on Spotify, music technology major Jessica Taylor is on a fast track to her goal of a successful career in the music industry. She sees her time at Mason as an opportunity to advance her skills as a singer, songwriter and producer by taking courses in music theory, keyboard and voice lessons.

After coming to the United States from El Salvador to join her mother late in 2010, she enrolled in Mason's Early Identification Program and was an academic star at Freedom High School in Woodbridge, Virginia.

Leah and Peregrine Pistone, incoming freshmen at George Mason University, are used to learning together. The siblings were homeschooled by their mother throughout their K-12 years. While they say they are grateful for the experience, they both are looking forward to engulfing themselves in a large university environment with diverse classmates.

Of the 108 Northern Virginia graduating seniors who participated in the university's Early Identification Program, 48 have chosen to attend Mason. Twenty-eight of those students have been awarded partial or full scholarships.

Graduating senior Nicole Herman said Mason made the world her campus.

The Class of 2021 will graduate on Friday, May 14.