The Mason Spirit

Laura May and her daughter Aubrey, who will be a second-generation Patriot when she starts at Mason this fall.

Laura May: The Cheerleader

Laura May is the ultimate George Mason University hyphenate. She’s a Mason parent-alumna-advisor-fan. Oh, and did we mention she’s an alumna two times over? She spends her days being a figurative Mason cheerleader, singing the school’s praises to former students and parents of students, her daughter’s friends, and of course her daughter, who recently graduated from high school.

May, who received a B.S.Ed in 1983, decided on Mason for her undergraduate education after representatives at other universities in the state told her that Mason was the best school for education majors. She loved Mason so much she came back for a master’s degree in New Professional Studies, with a concentration in Innovations in Education Transformation, in 2001.

She hasn’t given up her connections to Mason, either. As a teacher herself, she now hosts current Mason graduate education students in her sixth-grade classroom, acting as an advisor to them in their studies and training them to one day become teachers.

Living in nearby Fairfax City, May says she gets to campus about once a week but anticipates that number will increase once she embarks on her new role as a Mason Mom. Her daughter Aubrey will begin her freshman year at Mason this fall. Turns out all of that cheerleading worked after all.

Favorite Mason Memory:

Probably Mason Days or Patriot Days; listening to the bands on the Quad.  The one I actually think about the most is standing in line across the Quad to the Student Union Building (I) to get the “punch cards” that you had to have to schedule your classes. We would all bring blankets, hot chocolate, and extra mittens.  It was horribly cold, in January, but it was like one big, weird party!

Why People Should Vote For You:

I really promote George Mason in many areas. I do attend sporting events—especially basketball—at Mason, but my support  goes much farther.  As a teacher, my parents frequently ask, “Where did you go to school?”  I am proud to be able to tell them that I graduated from George Mason, not once, but twice. I also highly recommend to my former students to consider Mason when they begin their college search. Many of them, once visiting Mason, not only consider it, but choose it! My own daughter, Aubrey, (Fairfax High, class of 2010) applied ONLY to George Mason, and will attend Mason beginning in the fall. Finally, I have been trained, and currently work as Clinical Faculty for George Mason, training new teachers as ambassadors to promote the excellent education available at Mason. While I enjoy attending arts, cultural, and sporting events at Mason for fun, a REAL fan of the university works to promote the reputation of the school as a GREAT place to get a quality university education!

Please check the blog on Monday, July 19, to vote for Laura May for Mason’s Biggest Fan.