Stories from GMU Alumnae

“ I would mainly stay at the food court area in the JC, I would be there with hallmates and colleagues… I think what builds community is how diverse the campus is .. there's something for everyone”

"Even as a commuter, I was able to find that community to stick with me throghout college, it was one of the things that kept me going"

- Alma Andrea Fuentes (Spring 2017 Graduate)

Alma Andrea Fuentes. April 23, 2025. Oral history by the class of HNRS 360, Fairfax VA,  

“ I feel like it was easy for me to find community on campus … I feel like the Black community at Mason was tightnit and it was easy to find community … I found myself hanging out in the JC and meeting new people who would kiosk for their organizations”

" At that time that I was at GMU, there was a need for community and even as a new student there was that want to help others, I had always had mentors and people that took me in, they were my village, they were my community."

- Kenya Moore (Fall 2019 Graduate)

Kenya Moore. April 22, 2025. Oral history by the class of HNRS 360, Fairfax VA, 

While researching where communities are created at GMU it was important to step back and see the community through a different perspective. While areas on campus may bring people together, what we found truly builds community, are the people. The testimonies above are of GMU alumni who shared their experiences on what it meant to find community on campus. While hotspots like the Johnson Center and SUB 1 were places of convenience it was the people that they found in these communities that shaped their outlook on what a village looks like as a college student. Community as a student in college is very important, it allows for you to have a support system that carries you throughout your journey as an undergraduate.