Greg Johnson

Many students graduate from the Costello College of Business at George Mason University with bold plans to start their own companies. Bethany Rivera and Alex Tugbang, both undergraduate marketing students and classmates in Jiyeon Hong’s marketing course, had already launched their respective businesses Rivera’s Photography and Photuggraphy prior to enrolling.

Rachel Absolu, a senior studying accounting at the Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason University, was awarded the Kearney and Company Scholarship in Accounting for the academic year of 2023–2024. Accounting alumnus Jae Hoon Jeong, who graduated in December 2023, received the Accounting Excellence Scholarship and James R. Beers Endowed Scholarship during his final academic year.

When hearing the term “sustainability” in business circles, there’s often a misconception that it hinders growth. For the last three years, the MBA elective course Environmentally Sustainable Operations has offered interested graduate students from across George Mason University the opportunity to work with companies from multiple industries on making the business case for sustainability.

After two years of studying management and marketing at the Costello College of Business and the Honors College at George Mason University, Rakibul Alam’s academic credits have put him a semester ahead of schedule.

With stock trading apps like Robinhood, Webull, Charles Schwab, and countless others gaining massive popularity over the past few years, especially since COVID, Ashok Margam, a finance term assistant professor at the Costello College of Business at George Mason University, saw an opportunity.

Brittany Mullins, BS Marketing ’07, found her professional niche while studying at the Costello College of Business at George Mason University. Since graduating, she has founded and run her successful brand, Eating Bird Food, providing healthy recipes and more to her loyal followers.

Previously lacking much direction in his education or prospective career, Dante Tatem, a senior studying marketing, utilized resources available to him to succeed at the Costello College of Business at George Mason University and secure a job after graduation.

Led by the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) within the Costello College of Business at George Mason University, the Patriot Pitch Competition supports early-stage business ventures and ideas from Mason students and recent alumni. On April 11, the finalists made their final pitches on the Fairfax Campus. 

To mark the beginning of a broader academic connect between George Mason and leading universities in Viet Nam, the Costello College of Business and University Libraries officially opened a special exhibition in partnership with the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and received their donation of rare books to the university's special collections.

The students’ trip to the headquarters showed them how they could apply what they have learned in the classrooms as future professionals, whether it be at the SEC or elsewhere.