Abigail Mills arrived at George Mason in 2020 during a global pandemic, with all her courses online and, like many, faced with an uncertain future.
Nearly six years later, she is graduating from George Mason with her second degree. After earning her BFA in creative writing in December 2022, Mills is receiving her MFA in creative writing this semester.
In the meantime, the Honors College student compiled an impressive resume. She has worked as a graduate teaching assistant and has also taught six undergraduate courses, which included composition, introduction to literature, and introduction to creative writing. As a writer, she is nearly finished with one novel and is working on her thesis novel, with both books tackling religious deconstruction. Earlier this spring, she won the George Mason Rinehart Fiction Award for "Self-Portrait in Plasteline."
“I had so much hands-on help with figuring out my craft,” said Mills, who transferred into George Mason after receiving her associate’s degree at Northern Virginia Community College. “As a writer, I am really thinking about what is my voice, what am I trying to communicate, how can I best reach my audience? And without the support of my peers and my faculty members really being engaged and hearing what I had to say, I don’t think I would have been able to develop that voice to the point that it is today.”
The fiction writer said the connections and experiences she has made in her six years at the university are invaluable.
She credits creative writing professors Courtney Angela Brkic and Alexia Arthurs, the latter her graduate thesis director, for “connecting her to a literary community.” In addition to working with her fellow graduate students in her fiction writing cohort, Mills has attended literary conferences, meeting with agents and literary magazines. She also served as a reader for Phoebe, George Mason’s graduate literary and arts journal.
“It has been a really great experience,” Mills said. “I feel like I’m leaving Mason with not only these important connections but also a very stocked resume. It has been such a wellspring of opportunity.”
In one of her toughest times, Mills felt the support of the George Mason community.
During finals week of her senior year in spring 2022, Mills’ mother died. Grieving and trying to finish her finals while preparing for a study abroad trip to England and Scotland through the Global Education Office just a month later, she was overwhelmed.
Friends Carmen Pulupa, Olivia Timm, and Grace McKay—“Truly some of the best friends I’ve ever made” she said—visited her house in Alexandria every day and helped pack her bags for her trip. George Mason faculty coordinated with Mills to ensure she had time to finish her final paper, projects, and assignments. English professor Lisa Koch, who supervised the Harry Potter study abroad trip to the United Kingdom, provided a comforting presence.
“I had really wonderful professors during that time who were willing to work with me, who understood, who helped to make the space for me to grieve, and get the work done so I wouldn’t fail at the end of the semester,” she said. “That was a really big thing that confirmed my desire to continue for my master’s here just seeing that they will understand, that they will support.”
Mills was a graduate teaching assistant for Koch’s English 305 Dimensions of Writing and Literature course—the same class she took as an undergraduate. This experience has helped Mills, who is currently a substitute teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools. She plans to pursue a teaching career at the high school or college level while also publishing novels.
“I’ve been thrilled to watch Abigail’s growth over the years,” Koch said. “As a teaching assistant, Abigail has been exceptional. She is dedicated to students and goes above and beyond to support them. She brings both professionalism and kindness to the classroom, which creates a welcoming and supportive learning environment.”