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Category: Leadership

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Advance Team Leadership Staff

Melissa Moore, MBA

MELISSA MOORE

Director of Logistics

Melissa Moore is the Associate Director of Events and Programs for the Office of Admissions at George Mason University and serves as the Director of Logistics for the Washington Scholars Program. Melissa attended WSP’s Washington Journalism and Media Conference as a high school student and worked as a staff member for the programs throughout her undergraduate tenure. She went on to receive both her B.A. in Communication and Masters of Business Administration from Mason. She has worked in events for the Washington Capitals (and has a ring to prove it!) and a tech startup before returning to her alma mater. Melissa is dedicated to fostering meaningful experiences through impactful events!

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Leadership Uncategorized

Dawn Aponte

DAWN APONTE

Administrative Assistant, Washington Scholars Program

Dawn Aponte is an Administrative Assistant for the Washington Scholars Program (WSP) and K-12 Partnerships Program Office, within the Office of Admissions at George Mason University. Dawn joined the team in 2012, following a career with the U.S. Dept. of Justice. She loves supporting the WSP summer programs, the students and their families, and her teammates. In her opinion, Mason is an inspirational and progressive place to learn and serve. Dawn spends her free time outdoors as much as possible and loves to read and be with her young-adult children.

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Leadership

Sue Muraida

SUE MURAIDA

Coordinator

Sue Muraida is a best-selling author, speaker, and pursuer of abundant life. Over the past 30 years, she has worked as a medical photographer, photojournalist, leadership trainer, writer, and teacher. Sue has published three books, Change For a Penny, The Silent Sound of Darkness, and her memoir Going Back For Me, as well as co-authored the anthology Deserts To Mountaintops: Our Collective Journey To (Re)Claiming Our Voice. She is currently the program director for Humanities North Dakota.

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Leadership Uncategorized

Ali Dodson, MS, MPP

ALI DODSON

Associate Director, Washington Scholars Program

Ali Dodson is the Associate Director of the Washington Scholars Program. She has a B.S in Conservation Biology from George Mason University, and an M.S. in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology and M.P.P in Environmental Policy from University of Maryland. Her master’s research focused on student perception of environmental issues, which she then used to create and teach a summer Living Learning Community for University of Maryland’s Upward Bound Program. Before going to Maryland, Ali worked with the Consortium for Ocean Leadership’s National Ocean Sciences Bowl, a national competition for high school students in the marine sciences. Before coming to Mason, Ali worked with the EPA, where she was an ORISE fellow researching coastal wetlands. In her free time, she attempts to grow her own vegetables, hangs out in her big back yard with her dogs, and sings karaoke as often as possible.

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Counselor Leadership

Rachel Cleaver, MPA

RACHEL CLEAVER

Senior Associate Director, K-12 Partnerships

Rachel is the Senior Associate Director of K-12 Partnerships in the Office of Admissions. In this role, she creates and oversees partnerships that help bring more students to the Mason campus. She works with many departments and organizations across the campus as well as the community as a whole to talk about the great things happening at George Mason as well as College Access and Success overall. Rachel oversees bringing groups of students of all ages to campus and you will often see her corralling large groups of middle school students around campus. Rachel provides general support to the Washington Scholars Program. Prior to coming to George Mason, Rachel has extensive experience leading the programmatic efforts at two college access and success programs on the East Coast, Let’s Get Ready and The Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund. She has extensive experience in curriculum design and program management and in helping under-served high school students achieve their college dreams. She earned BS degrees in Elementary Education and Human/Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University and a Masters in Public Administration from George Mason University. She loves living in Washington, DC and looks forward to welcoming you here this summer!

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Leadership

Elena Johnson, MED

ELENA JOHNSON

Director, Washington Scholars Program

Elena is the Director of the Washington Scholars Program (WSP) which includes the Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC) and the Washington Youth Summit on the Environment (WYSE).  As the director, she works to create fulfilling conference experiences by developing curriculum for the programs, as well as recruiting professional faculty and nationally recognized speakers in the fields of journalism and the media and environmental science. Under her leadership the programs have tripled in size and furthered their reach through key partnerships. Elena also manages several key partnerships for the Office of Admissions that focus on dual enrollment programming and college access initiatives. Prior to working in the Office of Admissions, Elena worked as a College and Career Specialist helping high school students explore their educational and career goals and choices. Elena earned a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and her Masters in Education from George Mason University.