The Mason Spirit

The Offices of Admissions and Alumni Affairs at Mason are partnering to help Mason alumni become effective recruiters for the university, no matter where they are in the world. Under a new program name, the Mason Admissions Volunteer Network (MAVN) provides graduates and other school supporters with opportunities to share their Mason experiences and the school’s attributes with prospective students and their families.

Mayella at an admissions event. Photo courtesy of Mayella.

Once an alumnus has registered as a volunteer ambassador, Mason’s Office of Admissions provides support, information, and ideas to bring the Mason message to potential Patriots anywhere they live. Ambassadors are encouraged to attend local college fairs and off-campus admissions events, and to visit high schools to offer their experiences at Mason firsthand. They also contact students by phone and e-mail to congratulate them on their acceptances, scholarships, and birthdays.

One ambassador, Mayella Valero, BA Government and Politics ’91, reaches out to inform students in Los Angeles.

“As a proud alumna of Mason, it gives me great joy to talk to prospective students from California and share with them the values of considering Mason as a viable option for college,” she says. “It is my mission to spread the word about Mason, which I consider to be a diverse and dynamic institution.”

“Volunteer ambassadors provide Mason with a vital link between local communities and Mason,” says Sarah Gallagher Dvorak, director of undergraduate admissions. “They personalize and bring credibility to the recruitment experience by sharing valuable stories of their own careers at Mason.”

“We are extremely excited to continue to build this partnership with the Office of Alumni Affairs,” says Dvorak. “We’re thrilled to welcome more and more alumni and parents from around the country to help recruit students to Mason. My hope is in the next several months we lay the groundwork for an even more effective program.”

To that end, more ambassadors are needed to reach out to prospective students. Interested candidates should register for the program at admissions.gmu.edu/volunteer and join the Facebook page at on.fb.me/1autc9Z.

—Buzz McClain, BA ’77