College of Education and Human Development

Groundswell partners with Mason LIFE providing scholarships, internships, and career services

As with most internships, information technology consultant Groundswell aims to provide an experience that gives George Mason students a chance to learn about the company, delve into new areas and discover more about the industry.

Over the 2023-24 school year, Mason LIFE student Mohammad Nadeem did just that through his internship with McLean-based Groundswell, learning about data analytics, software development and physical hardware.

“We wanted to ensure that we maximized his opportunities to grow as an individual,” said Tim Kelly, Vice President for Operational Excellence for the People Services team at Groundswell. “We wanted meaningful work for him. We wanted him to try different things.”

Like destroying a laptop.

Nadeem wielded a hammer, strapped on safety goggles and broke open laptops. Kelly said Nadeem was educated on the intricacies of removing critical components for recycling and security purposes. Just one aspect of his internship, over time Nadeem discovered patterns, learned how to make repairs and extract components in different devices.

“He absolutely loved it,” Mason LIFE Employment and Adult Services Coordinator Chris Williams said. “He was exposed to different things and it offered professional building. He really enjoyed the atmosphere. Just working with others and just being treated as part of the team was valuable for him.”

Nadeem will graduate next spring from the College of Education and Human Development’s (CEHD) Mason LIFE program, a four-year post-secondary comprehensive transition program for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who desire a university experience in a supportive academic environment. Mason LIFE students regularly complete internships, working in a wide-range of settings, including at software companies, George Mason rec centers, Fairfax County Public Schools, animal care facilities.

Williams said Nadeem’s experience with Groundswell boosted his confidence and independence. He drove independently from his parents’ home in Alexandria to McLean twice a week for the internship. Mason LIFE also provided support staff in to be on-site at Groundswell with Nadeem but Kelly said as the internship progressed, “it became far less, less of them guiding him.”

“It has a huge impact. The internship experiences are critical,” Williams said. “The students are learning the importance of going to work on time. Knowing they have duties and responsibilities assigned to them that they have to complete. Working with others. Receiving feedback from their employers. Students are also learning what they like, what they don’t like.

“They were thrilled to have Mohammad. They enjoyed that they pushed him. They really appreciated that whatever they assigned Mohammad he gave 100 percent effort and he tried his best.”

One of those assignments, Kelly said, contributed to Groundswell winning a major environmental award. Nadeem performed analysis over several weeks to calculate the environmental impact Groundswell employees had made due to a company-wide emphasis on telecommuting.

Through the Groundswell TTRIP (Transit and Telework Resources, Impactful Practices) Program, Nadeem found that Groundswell employees in 2023 saved 49,918 gallons of gas and 24,312 trips to the office, among other notable data points.

“He became an integral part of our team,” Kelly said. “It was like watching him grow up. I was really proud of him. To see his confidence, see his joy, seeing him understanding the impact of the work for the company and really add value and do meaningful work.”

Kelly has been so impressed with the partnership with Mason LIFE that Groundswell recently announced the creation of scholarships for Mason LIFE students.

In addition, Groundswell wants to continue helping Mason LIFE students in their career development. This past April, Kelly and several Groundswell employees visited CEHD and facilitated an “Introduction to Work 101” workshop. A photographer took headshots of each of the 16 Mason LIFE students who attended. Kelly and his team helped set up LinkedIn accounts, creating their bios and providing dos and don’ts for social media. Williams and Kelly both hope to make the workshop an annual or semi-annual career development event for Mason LIFE students.

“It was truly a really great day,” Williams said. “To be able to hear from a professional workplace outside of the Mason community was really impactful and resonated with them. It speaks to them as a company and how dedicated they are to supporting individuals from an underrepresented background.”

Added Kelly: “The students are intertwined so wonderfully into the campus picture. It demonstrates George Mason’s commitment to neurodivergent students. It is an honor in some small way to support their needs.”