Grab your coffee, tea or water and come join us for a morning coffee chat around financial well-being. This event had no formal presentation, but rather a discussion about financial well-being and how it impacts our daily lives. This was an icebreaker discussion format to get Money Smart Day started.

Click here to view the slides for this presentation.

Navigating and setting up your student loan repayments after graduation can be confusing, but it does not have to be. This presentation focused primarily on federal direct student loan repayments, while also briefly discussed private loans and Perkins loans. In addition, we discussed all loan forgiveness options as well as Public Service Loan Forgiveness and how to set up an income driven repayment plan. We also discussed how COVID-19 has impacted student loan repayments currently and in the future. Attendees ended the session with the confidence and ability to get started, or continue, on a path to successful student loan repayments.

Presenter: Shannon Osborne, MA
Shannon Osborne is the Assistant Director for Financial Well-Being in the Student Support and Advocacy Center. She has over 12 years of Financial Aid experience, but has focused most of her career on financial literacy and well-being for students. She received a Master of Arts in Financial Communication from Indiana University- Purdue University Indianapolis and a Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunications from Indiana University. She is currently working on a 2^nd Master of Arts in Global Community Engagement from University of Denver in order to help all students navigate an understanding of finances.

Click here to view the slides for this presentation.

Salary is an important consideration for any job seeker. In this workshop we focused on how you can find salary data, develop a salary range, and confidently negotiate your salary and benefits. We also discussed how employers feel about the negotiation process and strategies you can use to navigate the negotiation process.

Presenter: Dorothy Hayden, MA
Dorothy Hayden is the Engineering Industry Advisor with University Career Services. Dorothy brings more than a decade of experience working with many different types of job seekers. When Dorothy isn’t at work, she’s likely either working on her second master’s degree at Mason in Learning Design Technology or volunteering as the Director of Finance for the Virginia Association of Colleges and Employers. Dorothy has completed the Virginia Department of Veterans Ambassador Pledge and is certified as a federal career advisor. Dorothy was recently named as an Honoree for the Northern Virginia 40 Under 40.

Click here to view the slides for this presentation.

Health insurance can often seem like a daunting matter, filled with jargon and loopholes. In this session, we discussed the basics of health insurance, defined common terms used, and explored options for enrollment.

Presenter: Nour Alamiri, MPH, CHES®
Nour Alamiri is the Health & Well-Being Coordinator at Student Health Services. Her role serves to promote the health and well-being of the Mason student community through education, programs, and outreach. Nour received a Master of Public Health (MPH) and Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Bioethics from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Throughout her professional career, Nour has worked in health education and community health outreach with vulnerable and marginalized populations. As a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), she is passionate about making well-being accessible and attainable to all people, regardless of background or circumstance.

 

Learn about job preparedness and readiness with a Mason Alumni panel. During this panel style session, we provided an overview on what you can expect your first on the job to look like. This included what materials to bring and discussing experiences on job searching while also relocation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Be ready to learn about topics that may include how to best choose health insurance options, fill out tax information forms and other paperwork processes that occur when transitioning into a new work experience.

Presenters: Mason Alumni

Click here to view the slides for this presentation.

There are a lot of things that can impact finances, and our relationships are one of them. This presentation covered the basics of the tax process as a single adult, what it means to have a partner and/or dependent listed on your taxes, how to become financially independent in your relationships, and how to have healthy conversations about money. Content Warning: This presentation contains content about financial abuse and support resources.

Presenter: Caitlyn Largent, M.Ed. (she/her/hers)
Caitlyn Largent is the Assistant Director for Sexual and Interpersonal Violence Prevention and Response at the Student Support and Advocacy Center. She is an alum of George Mason University, where she graduated in 2019 with an M.Ed. in Counseling and Development. As part of her role in SSAC, Caitlyn serves as a confidential advocate to survivors and implements prevention efforts around financial abuse and the other ways finances intersect in relationships.
Presenter: Shannon Osborne, MA
Shannon Osborne is the Assistant Director for Financial Well-Being in the Student Support and Advocacy Center. She has over 12 years of Financial Aid experience, but has focused most of her career on financial literacy and well-being for students. She received a Master of Arts in Financial Communication from Indiana University- Purdue University Indianapolis and a Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunications from Indiana University. She is currently working on a 2^nd Master of Arts in Global Community Engagement from University of Denver in order to help all students navigate an understanding of finances.