Noah Foster

When are you graduating?

Spring 2024

Describe your dissertation, thesis, or capstone:

I completed a graduate capstone project for my degree. I created a digital reentry resource guide for formerly incarcerated people in Prince William County, Virginia. I sought to highlight community-based resources providing vital social services such as employment aid, food, housing, childcare, medical care, and legal aid. My research was grounded in abolitionist feminism and Critical Race Theory. Consequently, it was important that I give special attention to organizations that prioritize formerly incarcerated Black women in their programming as well as organizations that measure success in a holistic way. Successful reentry cannot be reduced to one's risk of recidivism. Instead, it must be measured by one's access and connection to social services and community. 

How did you choose your specific area of study?

I knew coming into the program that I was interested in racial liberation and community care. I have been a passionate advocate against the carceral system since high school. I saw the capstone project as an opportunity to create something transformative for the communities I have spent so long learning about. Through my courses, such as Policing Black Bodies and Critical Race Studies, both taught by Dr. Wendi Manuel-Scott, I found myself interested in the intersections of Blackness, gender, and criminalization. It was from these courses and conversations with my professors that I decided to focus on reentry resources. 

How did your academic experiences in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences impact you?

Some of the courses that have been most impactful to my current and future studies have been in the Interdisciplinary Studies program at the College. These courses encouraged me to braid together threads from criminology, history, and gender studies to gain a richer understanding of my studies. Through the College and my degree program, I have also had the opportunity to engage with students from the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. I took the course Restorative Justice and Carceral Societies which is offered through the Carter School. I have met amazing students in that class who will change the world for local, national, and international communities. I am so grateful that the College allowed me to connect with such brilliant minds across the university. 

Of which accomplishment(s) during your time at Mason are you most proud?

I am most proud of my capstone project. I think many people have a desire to do something transformative for their communities, but they do not know where to start. The capstone project and the guidance I received from my incredible committee chair, Dr. Julie Owen, provided me the opportunity to actualize my dream of providing something tangible and truly helpful to others. This project is particularly meaningful because of the time I spent working in Prince William County. For the completion of my experiential learning credits, I interned in the summer at the Prince William County Office of the Public Defender. I met so many amazing clients who were being failed by the community. Their attorneys fought zealously for them, but clients needed support beyond the courtroom. I wanted to create something that would benefit them and provide support for the attorneys who also work so hard to get clients what they need.

Are there faculty or staff members who made a difference during your Mason career?

There are two professors who were foundational to my time at Mason: Dr. Wendi Manuel-Scott and Dr. Julie Owen. Dr. Manuel-Scott provided me with incredible insight into the United States' history with and relationship to race-based oppressive systems. She opened my eyes to the ways that racial capitalism and the logics of oppression have shape-shifted from slavery to the modern carceral system and society beyond. Without her courses, my project would not be what it is.

Dr. Julie Owen has been another foundational professor in my time at Mason. I first had Dr. Owen for Research Methods for Social Change where I began to craft my project proposal. I knew vaguely what I wanted to do and what I wanted to create, but I did not know how this would manifest in a research-based manner. Dr. Owen helped me identify the methodology and method that would best support my goal. She has also been an incredible professor to have as a committee chair. The entire process of creating my proposal and the project itself has been so much less stressful because of her support.

What advice would you give to an incoming cohort of graduate students?

I will give the same advice that professors at Mason gave to me: use every assignment as an opportunity to work toward your project or thesis. I used essays to begin my literature review and my research course to write thoughtfully about my project methods. Every assignment has been toward the completion of my final project. This made my proposal writing process much easier as the foundations of my paper were already written. 

What are your current career plans following graduation? What are your long-term career goals?

In the fall (2024), I will be attending UCLA School of Law as a David J. Epstein Public Interest Law and Policy student. After completing my internship with the public defense office, I knew I wanted to pursue law school. My goal upon graduation from my J.D. is to work as a public defender in D.C. Long-term, I see myself transitioning to civil rights litigation and hope to work at an organization like the ACLU.