“I’m hungry and passionate, so I’m ready to get started already.”
Nautia Smalls
Eager first year Honors College students begin their college careers, discuss possibilities over burgers.
On Friday, August 30th, the Honors College, in collaboration with Housing & Residence Life and University Life, hosted their ninth annual Build-A-Burger. The cookout celebrates the end of the first week of classes and encourages first-year students to mingle with their Honors College faculty and peers.
Build-A-Burger gives students an opportunity to take stock of new possibilities. “It’s a chance for people to begin to network and make long term relationships,” said Dr. John Woolsey, the Honors College Research Curriculum Director.
Build-A-Burger is an annual event that brings together Honors College students and faculty. (Photo by Nathan Crawford)
Build-A-Burger and other welcome week events show Honors College first-year students that many valuable college experiences will take place outside of the classroom.
Students like Nautia Smalls and Jackson Avery, both majoring in Government and International Politics, already have a general idea of how they might spend their first year of college, ranging from joining Student Government to participating in club sports.
Finance major Inaya Huric is also interested in joining campus organizations but is particularly eager to make connections with people of diverse backgrounds. “I’m excited about the people I’m going to meet because [this is] an opportunity to know people from a lot of different places,” said Huric, who has already found commonalities with her fellow students from all over the country.
Aazeen Bashir, a Neuroscience major, agrees with Huric that meeting new people has been a highlight of her first week of classes. Bashir has enjoyed the numerous free events on campus and striking up conversations with the people there. “I love how nice people are [here],” Bashir said. “Everyone’s just so pleasant.”
Students enjoy commemorating the end of the first week of classes. (Photo by Nathan Crawford)
Many students are already focused on their academics, like Asantewaa Kumi, who plans to “stay consistent and work hard” to succeed in her classes. The Computer Science major is looking forward to Honors 110: Principles of Research and Inquiry and is “excited to start the research project.”
Others share Kumi’s eagerness for the course. Bashir has begun to think about what she may center her research topic around, possibly combining her major with her interest in social interactions.
Smalls is also fascinated by social relations and has plans to focus her research on the effects of social media and reality television on society. She has been thinking about this project since she attended the Honors College Celebration of Excellence this past February.
Both Avery and Huric are interested in how businesses operate in various countries. Huric is considering taking inspiration from a previous French class where the class did research on French businesses, while Avery already has a clear vision of his project on Chinese business practices in African countries.
Mason's Admissions team, the biggest Honors College supporters from left to right: Eva Bramesko, Kelsey Poholsky, and Alexis Jenkins. (Photo by Nathan Crawford)
Students used Build-A-Burger as a time to reflect on what they are most excited about beyond the college classroom.
For Huric, Avery, and Kumi, moving in, exploring campus, and bonding with their respective floormates have been highlights of their experiences so far.
“We’re a very close floor,” said Avery, acknowledging the support and encouragement of his Resident Assistant.
For Bashir, the colloquiums represent a great opportunity for personal growth. She loves the idea of hearing “knowledgeable speakers” discuss their fields of study with expert detail. Bashir enjoys learning from different perspectives and believes it is an important step in discovering what one likes and does not like. The Neuroscience major is purposely attending the colloquiums not in her discipline to see if she discovers a subject that interests her more, stating, “I want to discover that [new interest] in my first year.”
Smalls recognizes the wide range of opportunities available to her by being at George Mason University and in the Honors College. She hopes to challenge herself both in and out of the classroom, planning to pursue her passions of international relations, film, and community service. Smalls mostly appreciates the freedom college is giving her both socially and academically to create her own path.
Echoing her peers, Smalls is eager for the school year to be in full swing, stating, “I’m hungry and passionate, so I’m ready to get started already.”