As the nation marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, history associate professor Meredith Lair is teaching a course that provides students with a chance to examine the event, not just as a turning point in U.S. history, but through the lenses of public memory, media literacy, commemoration, and civic responsibility.

Last year, Fall for the Book’s annual Writers in the School series reached nearly 1,200 K-12 students in the Fairfax County Public Schools. The program, organized by the George Mason University-based festival, is designed to introduce students to authors and encourage interest in reading and writing.

These stories showcase the many ways CHSS alumni are powering discovery, impact, leadership, and opportunity. Through their work, they embody the spirit of Mason Now: Power the Possible, demonstrating how a George Mason education prepares graduates not only to navigate the world as it is, but to help shape what comes next.