Chelsea Xu

Patriot Pantry expands to �鶹��Ƶ Square

Katarina Benson — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 21:11:33 +0000

Patriot Pantry expands to �鶹��Ƶ Square Katarina Benson Thu, 01/29/2026 - 16:11

On January 20, �鶹��Ƶ expanded one of its most essential student support services. The Patriot Pantry officially opened a new location at �鶹��Ƶ Square, extending food security resources to a campus that primarily serves graduate and professional students.

Operated by the Basic Needs Services team at the Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC), the pantry provides nonperishable food and hygiene products to students experiencing food insecurity. The service is designed to reduce stigma and remove barriers that can interfere with academic success.

The idea to expand the Patriot Pantry to �鶹��Ƶ Square began with students in Jennifer Sklarew’s EVPP 480 Sustainability in Action class who noticed a gap in resources for �鶹��Ƶ Square’s predominantly graduate and professional student population.

The Pantry is housed in the Student Lounge in Van Metre Hall, Room 211. Photo provided

Environmental science major Julia Frost, environmental and sustainability studies majors Isabella Barrera and Crystal Park, and business major Noah Brown, mentored by Sklarew, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, partnered with SSAC to create the new pantry. All four graduated in 2025.

With funding from a �鶹��Ƶ Impact Mini Grant awarded by the Office of Undergraduate Education, the students funded the storage cabinet now used for pantry order pickup. SSAC assumed responsibility for operations, integrating the �鶹��Ƶ Square location into its broader Basic Needs Services model and ensuring the pantry would function as a permanent, low-barrier resource.

“Food insecurity is a challenge no one should have to face, yet many do,” Barrera said. “Our goal is to help ensure that all students have access to a basic human right: food.”

The Patriot Pantry at �鶹��Ƶ Square builds on a service with a long history at George �鶹��Ƶ. What began nearly 12 years ago on the Fairfax Campus as a volunteer-led effort became a permanent student service in 2016, housed within SSAC. Since then, pantry usage has increased by 990%.

The expansion was also supported by funds from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) through the Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry grant program. These funds will be used to stock the Patriot Pantry at �鶹��Ƶ Square with nonperishable food items and essential hygiene products.

Additional support was provided by a $10,000 College Pantry Grant from the Capital Area Food Bank, awarded to SSAC at a time when demand for basic needs support continues to grow.

Professor Jennifer Sklarew, Isabella Barrera, Crystal Park, and Noah Brown, with Melissa Thierry, director, University Life Regional Campuses, standing by the pick-up cabinet for the Patriot Pantry at �鶹��Ƶ Square. Photo provided.

Dwayne Hamilton Jr., assistant director for Basic Needs Services, emphasized the pantry’s role in supporting students from diverse economic backgrounds, particularly graduate students who are often overlooked in higher education support services.

“Addressing basic needs concerns through the Patriot Pantry at �鶹��Ƶ Square moves students toward the ideal experience at George �鶹��Ƶ: freedom and learning,” he said.

Students can now place orders through the Patriot Pantry at �鶹��Ƶ Square order page and pick up items in the cabinet in the Student Lounge in Van Metre Hall, Room 211—a discreet, accessible location designed to prioritize privacy and dignity.

Community members may also support the pantry by donating nonperishable food and hygiene products through the Amazon Wishlist, contributing to the Student Food and Housing Insecurity Fund, or dropping off donations in the Student Lounge in Van Metre Hall, Room 211. A full list of accepted items is available on the Patriot Pantry homepage.

In This Story

Jennifer Sklarew

Learn more about University Life at George �鶹��Ƶ

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Patriot Pantry

Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC)

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University Life

Mini career fair helps neurodivergent students build job search skills

ckearney — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 21:01:51 +0000

Mini career fair helps neurodivergent students build job search skills ckearney Tue, 01/06/2026 - 16:01

A mini career fair in October brought together 17 students and nine employer partners for a networking experience designed with intention: a quieter, structured environment where neurodivergent students could practice professional skills without the sensory overload of a conventional career event.

The mini career fair gave students space to rehearse their personal pitches, ask questions, and receive individualized feedback. Photo provided

Hosted by �鶹��Ƶ’s �鶹��Ƶ Autism Support Initiative (MASI) and the Executive Functioning Program (EFP) in Disability Services, in collaboration with University Career Services (UCS), the event gave students space to rehearse their personal pitches, ask questions, and receive individualized feedback.

Employers from organizations including Fairfax County Government, the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, Melwood, BroadFutures, and the Organization for Autism Research’s Hire Autism Program met students and offered insight into job opportunities, workplace culture, and accessibility. The focused, calm, and conversational tone made it clear that this was not simply a recruitment event; it was an environment engineered for confidence-building.

MASI and EFP created the fair in response to a familiar challenge: large crowded networking events often obscure rather than illuminate opportunity, particularly for neurodivergent students. Here, students moved through a sequence of core skills, including introducing themselves, articulating employment goals, presenting a résumé, and posing targeted questions. Employers responded with candid, practical feedback rooted in real workplace expectations.

The approach worked. Sharon Toda, EFP assistant director, noted that 60% of students reported encountering no obstacles during their interactions—an uncommon statistic for a group that frequently names career fairs as particularly stressful events. For those who did describe challenges, such as uncertainty about how to introduce themselves or what information employers might want, staff emphasized that these moments are exactly the point: The fair exists to make the unfamiliar navigable.

Employer enthusiasm matched student engagement. According to Toda, several employer partners were “pleasantly surprised by the university’s initiative to support individuals with disabilities,” and one partner was motivated enough by the experience to help recruit an additional employer for future fairs. Their participation reflected a shared understanding that access and preparation are not separate goals but mutually reinforcing ones.

First piloted in the spring 2025 semester, the MASI/EFP mini career fair continues to evolve through close collaboration with employer partners and Ann Garner, a Career Services advisor. Participants also had access to a preparation workshop, led by UCS career advisor Zakeyah Frazier.

The fair echoes George �鶹��Ƶ’s broader mission of inclusion and creates yet another path for student success. By shaping the environment around students’ needs and engaging employers committed to accessible hiring, MASI and EFP turned a standard career interaction into something intentional and empowering. The mini career fair is set to return in April 2026.

To learn more about Disability Services’ programming and events, visit ds.gmu.edu.

Topics

Students

inclusive excellence

University Career Services

job fair

workforce

University Life

From rugby pitch to classroom, this Patriot is redefining what success means to him

ckearney — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 16:53:54 +0000

From rugby pitch to classroom, this Patriot is redefining what success means to him ckearney Mon, 12/08/2025 - 11:53

At 26, Max Dacey enrolled at �鶹��Ƶ with a singular goal: to earn his degree quickly and better support his family. A former competitive rugby player, he didn’t imagine a traditional college experience. His plan was to take classes, stay focused, “get the paper, and get out,” he said.

However, a year and a half later, the public relations major from Alexandria, Virginia, is graduating with far more than he expected: new confidence, a renewed sense of purpose, and a community that shaped the way he sees himself as a student, coach, and leader.

Fitting in as a contemporary student

Dacey’s decision to enroll was guided by a mentor from his hometown—a George �鶹��Ƶ alum who urged him to return to school and reconnect with the university’s rugby program.

Once he entered the classroom, the sense of belonging broadened. “In my first class, a lot of students were above the age of 23 and talked about who they were outside of class,” he said. “I immediately felt like part of a community. The professors cared about my opinion, which was uplifting.”

Over time, Dacey uncovered strengths he hadn’t seen in himself. “I did not know that my critical analysis was as good as it is,” he said. In a rhetoric course last spring, his professor noted how consistently he identified metaphors and underlying connections—insights he hadn’t even realized he was making.

Max Dacey (far right) with the rugby team. Photo provided

Returning to school also gave him something he hadn’t had in his professional life: time to pause, think, and dig deeply into ideas. George �鶹��Ƶ’s classroom environment offered the space to stretch intellectually and write about what mattered to him. One of his favorite assignments was a critical analysis of The Lord of the Rings, a series he has loved for years. Approaching it from a scholarly angle, dissecting its metaphors, themes, and world-building, was “challenging and energizing,” he said.

That shift, he realized, was transformative. It wasn’t simply about meeting degree requirements; it was about learning to think hard, ask questions, and make connections.

Coaching, leadership, and community

Throughout his student experience, rugby remained his anchor. Dacey first joined the club sports program as an assistant coach, eventually stepping into the head coach role. Leading teammates close to his age brought complexity along with humor.

“I didn't like being called ‘coach,’” he said with a laugh. “I joked with them, ‘I’m teaching you rugby because that’s what I’m good at. But if you tutor me in a class, I’m not calling you Coach —we’re peers.”

Max Dacey. Photo by Andani Munkaila/Office of University Branding

Coaching is one of his proudest accomplishments and has guided his journey in developing leadership skills. “My time at George �鶹��Ƶ as head coach,” he said, “has given me a chance to better myself outside the classroom and lead my peers in the sport I love.”

Charting his own path

As graduation approaches, Dacey is exploring his next steps with intention, looking for opportunities that align with both his public relations training and leadership experience.

Success, to him, is deeply individual. “Success means achieving your goals in a way that you’re proud of,” he said. “Everyone has different aspirations and methods. Accomplishing them in your own way is success.”

His advice to other George �鶹��Ƶ students, especially those returning to campus after time away, is grounded in his own experience. “Make as many connections as possible, attend every networking event, and have confidence in yourself,” he said. “The more you put yourself out there, the more confidence you’ll have. You’ll surprise yourself with what you can accomplish.”

Winter 2025 Commencement