Communications Team

The Honors College Communications Team’s purpose is to share stories from our community. We hope to uplift voices, bring people together, and inspire lifelong learning by showcasing the people – students, faculty and staff, and alumni – that make our Honors College unique. 

Working behind the scenes of this website, its corresponding news and social media posts, student and alumni newsletters, and other outreach functions is a small team of student creatives that understand the power of storytelling. Led by Honors College professor and Director of Communications Mr. Richard Todd Stafford, the Honors College Communications Team works to create content that strengthens our community and connects students with learning opportunities that will help them thrive while at Mason. We cover everything from research exhibitions to volunteer projects, special events to everyday wins, and incoming freshman to longtime alums. As the Honors College community continues to grow and evolve, our job is to promote and applaud its successes.

Do you have a story to tell? Email us at hnrscomm@gmu.edu.

Follow our stories @honorsmason on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Communications Team Members

Kimberly Laura - Lead Communications Intern

Kimberly Laura

Kimberly Laura is a senior at George Mason University, majoring in Community Health with a concentration in Clinical Science and minor in Digital Media & Web Design. Laura is the lead intern of the Honors College Communication Team with a strong focus in graphic design. She creates outreach materials for newsletters, affiliated websites, print campaigns, video and social media materials. Laura has participated in various campus organizations in the past but had her heart in the HCCT since freshman year because of her love for design and leadership. Earlier this year, Laura decided to pursue her passion and strong expertise in digital design with an ambition to break into tech as a UX/UI designer. 

Juan Escalera - Social Media Intern

Juan Escalera

Juan Escalera is a senior at George Mason University pursuing a B.S. in Marketing and a B.A. in Economics. He joined the Honors College Communications Team in the 2021 spring semester as the social media intern. His role involves creating social media strategies and content for Honors College events, activities, and student achievements programs.

Outside of his role on the communications team, he worked with the Early Identification Program as their social media manager. He is passionate about outdoor activities such as backpacking and camping, along with spending time with friends.

Jasmine Okidi - Lead Writing Intern

Jasmine Okidi

Jasmine Okidi is a senior majoring in English at George Mason University. As the Lead Writing Intern for the Honors College Communications Team, Okidi develops written content for the Honors College website and social media, including student profiles and event coverage. Outside of her role with the Communications Team, Okidi serves as the President for the African Student Association on campus. She enjoys African speculative fiction in her free time.  

Cara Chiswell - General Communication Intern

Cara Chiswell

Cara Chiswell is a second-year student studying Chemistry with a minor in Forensic Science. She joined the Honors College Communications Team in the Fall of 2021, hoping to pursue her passions for video, photography, and graphic design in a professional environment.

Outside of the Communications Team, Cara is the Social Media Manager for GMU Esports, but also enjoys just playing video games with her friends. She loves arcades and decorating her room with anything pink, but most of all enjoys napping on the couch.

Hana Al Shawi - General Communication Intern

Hana Al Shawi

Hana Al Shawi is a junior at George Mason University majoring In Forensic Science. She joined the Honors College Communication Team in Fall 2021 as a general intern that performs various tasks such as writing articles, conducting interviews, creating social media content, and editing videos.

Beyond her role in the Communication team, Hana is involved in multiple organizations on campus. She is a tour guide for Mason Ambassadors, part of the Honors College Recruitment Team, and a mentor for the Honors College Connects program. In addition, Hana is a Certified Pharmacy Technician and hopes to work in the medical field in the future. Hana enjoys seeing her friends during her free time, and is always down to try new desserts.

Maia Ocampo - Visual Media Intern

Maia Ocampo

Maia Ocampo is a Sophomore at George Mason University currently pursuing an Applied Computer Science Degree with a Concentration in Game Design. Maia has been with the team for a year now. On the team, she serves as the Visual Medias Intern and has been involved in a host of various media related duties such as video editing, live streaming, and newsletter creation for the Honors College. She is also responsible for the current ongoing Honors College Tips, a flash animation series that informs honors students of useful tips and information.  

Outside her roles as a team member and student, Maia is involved with Mason student life. She is currently the Marketing Director of Alpha Kappa Psi, the Professional Business fraternity here on campus. She is also a Resident Assistant for a First Year Leadership Learning Community for George Mason’s Housing and Residence Life. Outside of her responsibilities, Maia enjoys reading, learning, and any creative acitivities.  

Hanan Isse - Assessment and Analytics Intern

Hanan Isse

Hanan Isse is a senior at George Mason University, majoring in Information Systems and Operations Management with a concentration in Accounting. Hanan conducts research for the communications team as well as helps with the weekly student newsletters. She gathers data through surveying and facilitating focus groups in order to gather information for a communications assessment report. She also produces the weekly Honors College Student Newsletter, which notifies students with events and opportunities going on around campus. She is also a Early Identification Program alumni and is involved in clubs such as Muslim Student Association and The Somali Student Association.  

Jessica Taylor - Audio Production Intern

Jessica Taylor

Jessica Taylor is a sophomore at George Mason University pursuing a B.M. in Music Technology with a Recording emphasis. Her role on the Honors College Communication Team as the audio production intern involves creating and writing original music to accompany videos, capturing live audio for interviews and events, and assisting in video editing and production.

Jessica has been producing music for over six years, and writing music for about eleven. Beyond her work with the communications team, she is a freelance music producer, vocalist, and songwriter. She has released 13 original songs onto streaming platforms under the name Jessica Taylor, which have gained over 100,000 streams in total. She loves her two little dogs, all sorts of video games, and going to the gym. She hopes to pursue a career as a music producer and engineer.

Sarah Swift - Writing Intern

Sarah Swift

Sarah Swift is a senior at George Mason University pursuing a B.A in communication with a concentration in public relations and a minor in business. She recently joined the Honors College Communications Team in the fall of 2022 as a general intern with the aim of helping in the areas of writing, interviewing, photography, and graphic design. 

Outside of the communications team, Sarah is the treasurer of the GMU Public Relations Student Society of America, which helps students make professional connections, develop marketable skills, and find career opportunities within the public relations industry. In her free time, she enjoys finding new music to listen to, watching YouTube documentaries, reading books, and drinking tea. 

Daniel Chung - Webmaster

Daniel Chung

Daniel is a Senior at George Mason University, majoring in Information Technology with a concentration in Cybersecurity. Daniel joined the Communications team in the Fall semester of 2021 as the webmaster, in charge of updating and creating webpages for the Honors college while also performing other IT tasks.  

Outside of the Communications Team, Daniel is passionate about learning more about technology and cybersecurity. Daniel also enjoys staying active, spending time with family/friends, and playing video games in his free time. 

Wasiq Ali - Webmaster

Wasiq Ali

Wasiq Ali is a sophomore at George Mason University pursuing a major in Neuroscience. He joined the Honors College Communications Team in the fall semester of 2021 as a website intern. His role involves keeping the Honors College website up to date and doing other IT tasks.   

Outside of his role on the Communications Team, Wasiq is passionate about healthcare and the medical field. He spends his time volunteering at a free clinic and at a hospital. He enjoys walking around campus, spending time with his friends, going on excruciatingly long drives, playing videogames and taking pictures of random things. 

Sophia Nguyen - Outreach Intern

Sophia Headshot

Sophia Nguyen is a Senior at George Mason University where she is majoring in Government and International Politics with a concentration in International Relations and minoring in Global Affairs. At GMU, she has been involved in a plethora of organizations: Student Government, the Asian-Pacific American Coalition, The Patriot Period Project, and the Vietnamese Student Association. As an Outreach Intern, she ensures that the Honors College Communications team has a multitude of connections to partner and collaborate with. During her free time, she likes to do photography, read, and play the piano.

Honors College Communications Team