Student-Parents

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. 

Psychology major and student-parent Valeria Fernandez was selected to represent Mason as Generation Hope's FamilyU fellow for the 2022–23 cohort. She grew as a leader and advocate during that time and went on to work as a student-parent ambassador with Mason’s Contemporary Student Services.

George Mason University’s Contemporary Student Services has been recognized by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) for its innovative approach to serving post-traditional and off-campus students.

Mason was one of four universities selected for Generation Hope’s inaugural FamilyU Cohort, which is designed to help universities improve student-parent success.

Ashley Marshall-Lanier is an Academic Advisor in the Honors College with over fifteen years of experience in higher education. She is a certified success coach and an advocate for student success. She enjoys watching basketball or crime dramas, reading, and going for long walks.

For Nicole Lynn Lewis, Master’s in Public Policy ’06, completing her undergraduate degree as a single mom not only opened doors of opportunity, but symbolized how far she had come despite the challenges involved.