Graduate Success Fellows program empowers students to support peers

Being a graduate student isn't easy-it can be difficult to balance an academic workload, teaching, and a job, all while adapting to a new environment. Rather than facing these challenges alone, graduate students now have a new resource to help them navigate the graduate school experience: Graduate Success Fellows.

The Graduate Success Fellows program was established in the fall semester by George Mason University's Graduate Division based on feedback from the 2024 Mason Graduate Experience Survey, which showed that graduate students typically turn to their peers-rather than faculty or staff-for guidance about the graduate education journey.

"The survey results made it clear that the channels that we typically use to communicate with graduate students weren't the ones they preferred," said Alyssa Bivins, senior graduate professional development coordinator for the Graduate Division. "With this insight, we saw an opportunity to train graduate students who could serve as trusted sources of information on all aspects of graduate education-everything from funding opportunities, exploring internships, and flexible job options to connecting with others who share similar interests."

To launch the program, the Graduate Division asked schools and colleges to nominate graduate students to serve in the inaugural cohort of fellows. Throughout the fall semester, 12 fellows received extensive training to learn about the support and services available to graduate students at George Mason, andmet with their individual academic units and with offices across campus, including Graduate Student Life, the Office of Fellowships, and others.

The fellows also took part in a mentorship training session led by two George Mason staff memberstrained by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Researchat the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The session focused on peer leader and mentorship techniques to support diverse graduate students.

"The training was really eye-opening," said Harris Davis, a second-year student in the School Psychology Program inthe College of Education and Human Development. "I wish I had known about these resources when I started my master's program."

For Davis, the information about financial assistance and employment stood out the most. "So many graduate students have questions about funding opportunities, and George Mason's graduate financial support services can really help," he said. "They do more than just scholarships and traditional aid. They cover all areas of graduate education, from finding a job that fits your schedule to obtaining funding for travel to present at a conference."

Sara Almadani, a second-year PhD student in the Climate Dynamics Program inthe College of Science, was impressed with the social resources that are available for graduate students at George Mason. "Coming into a university as a graduate student can be lonely," she said. "Being able to talk to someone to find out what to do for fun or where to meet other people in the program makes it easier to adjust to graduate life."

More than just taking on an ambassador role for the university's graduate student services, Graduate Success Fellows are also working on projects within their schools and colleges to better support graduate students. These projects include improving social media outreach, creating a professional development series, and deploying surveys to better understand graduate student needs, among others.

"I've been blown away by the initiative of the fellows," said Bivins. "Our inaugural group had to do a lot of pioneering to figure out what this program will look like and how it will operate. They really have the best interests of their fellow graduate students at heart, and it shows."

Graduate students who want to connect with a Graduate Success Fellow can get in touchwith their academic unit's representative. Contacting a Graduate Success Fellow is free-and can save hours of searching online for the right information.

"If you have a question, no matter how small, reach out and we can help you find a solution," said Davis. "Whether you're looking for a quiet space to study or just want to know where to grab some free popcorn, we're here to help."

Graduate Success Fellowships are paid full-time graduate professional assistant positions. Students are nominated by their school or college. Information about the selection process for the 2026-27 school year and information regarding requirements and responsibilities is available at graduate.gmu.edu.