The Mason Spirit

Founded by the Alumni Association, Mason’s new Golden Quill Society aims to recruit and engage recent graduates who have excelled in academics and leadership at Mason. The society inducted its first members last spring.

The first class inducted into the society.

“We are always thinking about ways to cultivate leadership for the alumni association board,” says Alumni Affairs assistant director Anna Goltz. “But getting involved can be intimidating for young alumni and recent graduates. The Golden Quill Society is a way to bridge that gap.”

The hope is that society members will carry on their Mason legacy by eventually holding leadership roles and act as ambassadors by spreading the word about the kinds of activities and events the association sponsors. “It means a lot to be honored, but I also consider it a call to action,” says recent inductee and former president of Mason Ambassadors student group, Gleason Rowe, BA Global Affairs ’11 and BA Spanish ’11.

“The benefit of having alumni status is having a cohort, a group of people to engage and network with,” says Goltz. “I think creating a space for younger alumni is really important for the Alumni Association to make that connection more immediate as people are walking out the door with their degree.”