Budd Recognized for Involvement in Diversity, Building Connections with Main Campus
Meredith Steer
Issue date: 4/11/05 Section: News
When George Mason established a law school, the founders chose Arlington as the location so that the school would be more appealing and competitive with the other law schools. However, being fifteen miles from the Fairfax campus has its consequences, among them a separation from the core services located on the main campus.
Kellie Budd (3D) is one of a few at GMUSL who is working to improve the connection with Main Campus. During her second year, Budd and several other students re-established the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), which had been absent as a student organization for several years. Budd also made it a goal to work with other GMUSL minority student groups to create a relationship in which the organizations could depend on one another.
Beginning with the Multi-Cultural holiday dinner that was held in late November, she "hopes that [we've] started a trend of all minority groups working together, which is something that the groups really hadn't been doing in the past." Budd explains that her objective was to create a "reciprocal relationship so that when one group was hosting an event, the other groups would be invited to participate."
Budd's "leadership with BLSA and her ability to speak as easily with students as partners in a law firm," immediately impressed Assistant Dean Darrell Jackson. Once Jackson accepted a position as a Dean of Admissions in March of 2004, he immediately sought to establish a greater connection with the main campus, especially with the Office of Diversity Programs and Services.
"One of my personal goals was to tie each of the law school's minority groups with the equivalent group on the main campus," says Jackson. One of the ways in which Jackson sought to accomplish this goal was for awards given in these areas on the main campus to consider students from the law school as well as undergraduates in Fairfax. "I made sure the main campus knew about Kellie right away," explained Jackson.
Kellie Budd (3D) is one of a few at GMUSL who is working to improve the connection with Main Campus. During her second year, Budd and several other students re-established the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), which had been absent as a student organization for several years. Budd also made it a goal to work with other GMUSL minority student groups to create a relationship in which the organizations could depend on one another.
Beginning with the Multi-Cultural holiday dinner that was held in late November, she "hopes that [we've] started a trend of all minority groups working together, which is something that the groups really hadn't been doing in the past." Budd explains that her objective was to create a "reciprocal relationship so that when one group was hosting an event, the other groups would be invited to participate."
Budd's "leadership with BLSA and her ability to speak as easily with students as partners in a law firm," immediately impressed Assistant Dean Darrell Jackson. Once Jackson accepted a position as a Dean of Admissions in March of 2004, he immediately sought to establish a greater connection with the main campus, especially with the Office of Diversity Programs and Services.
"One of my personal goals was to tie each of the law school's minority groups with the equivalent group on the main campus," says Jackson. One of the ways in which Jackson sought to accomplish this goal was for awards given in these areas on the main campus to consider students from the law school as well as undergraduates in Fairfax. "I made sure the main campus knew about Kellie right away," explained Jackson.