Anna Stolley Persky

During the pandemic shutdown, EIP, just like all programming at Mason, was forced to pivot to online platforms.

Kristen Alleyne and Elene Lipartiani, incoming freshmen at George Mason University, have been honored with I-Achieve scholarships for academic excellence. The awards are being given for the first time this year, as part of a grant Mason received from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation last fall.

When Taurus Patterson was looking at colleges, George Mason University struck him right away as a place that he could call a “second home.”

“I felt like I would be welcome,” said Patterson, 18. “Everyone I met was so nice, and it didn’t seem forced. When I visited the campus, people just started talking to me, and it was so natural. I already felt like I belonged.”

Patterson is a member of Mason’s Honors College, a University Scholar and a recipient of the Merten-Womble Scholarship. He says he’s looking forward to studying finance in the School of Business, and is considering a second major in public administration.

“A long time ago, I wanted to be president, and then I wanted to be a financial consultant,” Patterson said. “Really, I have a passion for both finance and politics, so I would like to be able to combine these interests.”