CEHD News Stories

Patriots in the Classroom

September 8, 2026

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There’s something special about back-to-school season: fresh starts, new opportunities, and the excitement of helping students discover what they can achieve. For our education alumni, it’s also a time to return to the work they love. Whether teaching elementary students, supporting learners with disabilities, coaching future leaders, or creating innovative learning experiences, our graduates are making an impact in schools and communities every day. Their journeys showcase the many possibilities an education degree can offer and the difference one educator can make in countless lives.

Meet some of the George Mason alumni inspiring the next generation of learners below!

Name: Jasmine N. Dash

Degree & Graduation Year: MEd Special Education Concentration in Behavior Analysis, 2017
Current Position: Founder and Behavioral Systems Consultant
Organization: Resonance Health LLC

Favorite teaching memory:

Some of my favorite moments in education have been watching a learner realize they can do something that once felt out of reach. Whether it was communicating a need, joining an activity with peers, or gaining independence with a daily task, those moments reinforced that meaningful learning happens when we understand the individual and create the conditions for them to succeed.

Advice for future educators:

Pay attention to behavior as information. Every response tells you something about what a learner needs, understands, or is experiencing. Stay curious, be consistent, and remember that progress is often built through small moments that compound over time.

What I’m most looking forward to this school year:

I am looking forward to continuing to share practical, behavior-informed tools that help educators, families, and organizations create environments where people can learn, regulate, and thrive. My time at George Mason helped build the foundation for work I continue today through behavioral science, systems development, and whole-person performance.

Name: Diane DeMott Painter

Degree & Graduation Year: BSEd Elementary Education, 1974; PhD in Education, 1994

Favorite memories from George Mason:

My fondest memories at George Mason were as both an undergrad and grad student. As an undergrad, I recall fondly traveling with my Student Education Association advisor to Richmond to attend Virginia Education Association (VEA) meetings. I was George Mason’s Student VEA president at the time. I learned so much about what it means to be a teaching professional from those experiences.

My second fondest memory was traveling with Michael Behrmann to the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC) annual conferences. There I met leading researchers in the special education field and was able to participate in some research activities such as field testing Write Outloud and other software designed for students with learning challenges in my classroom at Oak View Elementary School. I was able to establish CompuWrite at George Mason, a summer program around 1992 that focused on teaching grade 4-8 "ineffective writers" keyboarding and writing strategies. The program became the focus of my dissertation, and the program ran for quite a number of years on George Mason’s main campus.

My third fondest memory involved field testing "email" with a school in Prague in the early 1990's. Micheal Behrmann set me up with a computer and modem connection through George Mason so my sixth grade students at Oak View ES could correspond with grade 8 students in Prague. My intention was to have my students practice their writing skills, and the grade 8 students wanted to learn more about our government structure. This involved my students having to also research answers to their grade 8 students' questions such as who was our Secretary of State and his responsibilities. To make a long story short, my students and I won an award from the Freedom Light Foundation for promoting democracy!

All these experiences would not have happened if I had not been a student at George Mason.

Thank you for all the memories! I am proud to be a Patriot!

Name: Deidre Alves

Degree & Graduation Year: MEd Curriculum and Instruction, 2003 (Concentration: Multilingual/Multicultural Ed)
Current Position: Chief Learning and Leadership Officer
Organization: ExuLAB Global

Advice for future educators:

Never ever lose your enthusiasm for the art and science - and magic of learning! Let the love of learning always guide you, let the spirit and freshness of the beginnings of Fall stay with you throughout the year, and remember to draw on this beautiful well in times of stress. Whether you are in the classroom, administration, federal, corporate, public, or private sectors etc., anchor yourself to your love of learning and your learner, why you are in the 'business of learning,' and the limitless possibilities of unleashing human potential found through the precious pursuit of human development.

Name: Michelle Pivonka

Degree & Graduation Year: BA Integrative Studies Concentration, 2012; MEd
Curriculum and Instruction (Elementary Education), 2016
Current Position: 5th Grade Teacher and Lead Mentor
Organization: Chris Yung Elementary School, Prince William County Public Schools

What I’m most looking forward to this school year:

I’m most excited about the fresh start that a new school year brings! There’s something special about meeting a new group of students, learning about their interests, and building relationships that help create a supportive and engaging classroom environment. I can’t wait to work alongside my fifth graders, celebrate their successes, and make this a year filled with growth, confidence, and memorable learning experiences.

Name: Yazmin Musa

Degree & Graduation Year: BA 2015 (Psychology, Severe Disabilities) MEd Special Education, 2019
Current Position: Teacher of Visual Impairments
Organization: Garland Independent School District

Name: Abby Stiverson

Degree & Graduation Year: BSEd Elementary Education, 2025
Current Position: 2nd year 4th grade teacher
Organization: Hovatter Elementary in Loudoun County

Favorite teaching memory:

A favorite teaching memory of mine is making best teacher friends with my coworker!

Advice for future educators:

One piece of advice for future educators: set your boundaries early on, and stay true to them! Take care of yourself first, the rest will fall into place.

What I’m most looking forward to this school year:

I’m looking forward to working in a school that departmentalizes. I’ve never done it before!

Name: Kristy Smith

Degree & Graduation Year: MEd Special Education, 2013
Current Position: Middle school math teacher

Take a look at my classroom:

Name: Janet McCormick

Degree & Graduation Year: Bachelor of Individualized Studies, 1985; MEd Leadership & Human Development, 1994

Education Journey

You could call me a late bloomer. In 1984, I finished a long delayed undergraduate degree (Bachelor of Individualized Studies) from George Mason University. I was 42. A decade later, while working full-time, I returned for an MEd degree from its College of Education and Human Development. No one said it would be easy, and they were right.

One snowy night I found myself trudging across the parking lot wondering if this effort and expense would all be worth it. I had no idea of the long and winding road that lay ahead. The best part? It continues to this day - some 32 years later.

While I’ve never been a traditional classroom teacher within a school system, I’ve conveyed a wide variety of educational experiences via adult training and instructional design. As a consultant or employee, I’ve developed training manuals, plus classroom and online instruction, while working with the federal Department of Transportation, a major automobile manufacturer, a flight training firm, a public-private engineering partnership, and Medicare (CMS). After 9/11 there was a nationwide downturn in hiring. It was my graduate degree that led me to a five-year tenure as a preschool director. The leadership component of this degree has continued to be valuable in both volunteer and corporate groups, mental health agencies, children’s literacy organizations, church boards, and community activities.

At 84 years young, the story is not over! This month, I have published my third interactive storybook for preschool and kindergarten early learners. How did that happen? When schools opened after the Covid shutdown, these 3–4-year-olds were thrown into a world for which they had little preparation. Too many children were shut down; they were nonparticipators in a classroom setting. Combining my educational understanding with my preschool director’s experience led me to develop interactive stories for these early learners. With themes that reflected their feelings, these children found a safe space to contribute their own ideas and experiences. Teachers gained additional tools for assisting with language development and social emotional learning. A win-win solution, especially for children who are shy or withdrawn.

Today, my books, Robbie Roadrunner’s New Friends and Robbie Roadrunner’s Big Race give 3–6-year-olds a chance to make funny faces, wiggle their tailfeathers, and share their understanding of how to make friends or how to be a good sport even if you lose.

What a joy it is to read these books in local classrooms or bookstores. The excitement of having “a real author” in their midst is heart-warming as they participate by eagerly responding to the book’s embedded questions.

Advice for future educators:

My advice to future educators? It’s never too late and you’re never too old! Look far and wide for the infinite variety of possibilities that a degree in education can provide. Well-qualified teachers are vitally important for the future of our country. It is a calling that is challenging and requires dedication, grit, and perseverance. As my journey illustrates, education doesn’t just happen in a traditional classroom. The time and dedication necessary to complete your degree can be employed in any number of diverse fields. Go for it!

My question about whether the struggle to complete two degrees at George Mason would be worth it has long been answered. You bet it was! Thank you, George Mason University, for providing this life-long learner with the education and the vision to help make this world a better place.

Name: Holly DiPietro

Degree & Graduation Year: BSEd Early Childhood Education, 2026
Current Position: Preschool special education teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools
Organization: Centreville Elementary School

Advice for future educators:

Collaborate and make connections!! Every person you meet will teach you something, be open minded, and collaboration with others is key to learning and building the tools you need for your teaching toolbox. And believe in yourself, I promise you can do it!

Future goals:

I’m going to get my master’s degree in assistive technology!

Name: Kevin Horwath

Degree & Graduation Year: BA 2012 (History), MEd Curriculum and Instruction, 2017
Current Position: Social studies teacher and esports coach
Organization: Galileo Magnet High School in Danville Public Schools

Take a look at my classroom:

Photos of Horwath's current classroom Photos Provided