Commencement student speaker Caroline Little found her family while at George Mason 

Graduating psychology student Caroline Little said she grew up at George Mason University.  

“I have grown from a child to an adult at George Mason in ways I could have never thought possible. I came here a teenager, and left here a married mother of two,” said Little.  

Little, who will travel from Alabama to address her fellow graduates as the 2024 Winter Commencement Student Speaker, will welcome her second child, Isabella, this winter. 

George Mason’s rigorous education and location being so close Washington, D.C., made her decision to attend pretty easy, said Little. “George Mason really helped foster rapid maturation in the best way possible,” she said.  

Originally an in-state student, Little transferred from Germanna Community College in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Since then, she has lived in Rhode Island, New Orleans, and currently resides in Alabama.  

“I chose psychology as my major because I have always had a special interest in the study of how the human brain works and how humans behave. I definitely plan to take my psychology education further,” said Little, who was part of George Mason’s psych club during her first two years. 

Little’s passion for psychology was fueled by College of Humanities and Social Sciences professor Michael Hurley, the undergraduate academic advisor in the Department of Psychology who helped her get a job in applied behavioral analysis. 

“I worked with older autistic individuals, mostly individuals who are about to graduate from high school,” said Little. “I taught them how to be self-sufficient in their homes and they learned to do their own laundry, cook basic meals, clean up after themselves, and things like that.” 

Little also met her husband, former George Mason basketball player and star forward Joshua Oduro, BS Business ’23, during an on-campus voting event. 

Little has had many great experiences during her time as a student at George Mason, but some of her favorite memories, she said, come from the Homecoming basketball games and getting married to Oduro.  

“We came back to campus and popped a bottle of champagne in front of the George Mason statue to celebrate meeting each other on campus,” said Little. 

Throughout that summer, while Oduro was away at pre-draft, Little was a full-time mother and simultaneously took seven accelerated courses. It was a big challenge, said Little, because both she and her son, Saint, were struggling with sleep deprivation.  

“My son and I would go to campus every day to meet with my tutor at The Globe [dining hall],” said Little. “We would be on campus all day, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. I breastfed him, walked him around the halls, and brought him a big blanket for tummy time, just trying to keep him occupied while I studied.” 

Little’s biggest piece of advice for incoming students is pursue yourself first. “So much happens in your four years of college, don’t ever forget why you’re here in the first place,” she said. “Never give up on your dreams, no matter how hard it may seem! No one will do it for you. You are in charge of your own destiny.” 

Following graduation, Little plans to pursue her master’s degree in marriage and family counseling.