On November 3, the Costello College of Business at George Mason University marked its second-year naming anniversary in the most meaningful way—by giving back. The Annual Day of Service honored this milestone as a proud tradition, reaffirming Costello’s commitment to creating positive change and strengthening the campus community through acts of service.
Costello community members assemble Patriot Pantry bags. Photo by Hannah Patterson/Costello College of Business.
Partnering with Patriot Pantry and Mason Chooses Kindness, Costello students, faculty, staff, and alumni united to combat food insecurity. Volunteers organized donated food and personal hygiene items, making a meaningful impact during a season of heightened need. Together, they collected 332 pounds of donations and assembled 80 Patriot Pantry bags for George Mason students in need—a true team effort supported by generous contributions from the Costello community. Participants also expressed gratitude by writing thank-you notes to students, donors, and professors.
Cheryl Druehl, senior associate dean for faculty affairs and research, poses by the Kindness Kiosk. Photo by Hannah Patterson/Costello College of Business.
Outside at their Kindness Kiosk, Costello faculty and staff engaged passing students with information about Pats for Patriots and Mason Chooses Kindness. In front of the kiosk were the giant letters K, N, and D, inviting individuals to pose as the I in “Kindness.” To keep the campus beautiful and encourage cleanup, garbage bags and gloves were distributed.
At both the Patriot Pantry and Kindness Kiosk, participants decorated rocks with kind and encouraging messages. These rocks illustrate the Mason Chooses Kindness initiative and its mission to create and sustain an infectious kindness revolution at George Mason University through education and awareness, positive connections, sense of belonging, courageous advocacy, compassion, and well-being.
Christine Landoll, director of business engagement and senior instructor of business foundations, and Costello College of Business faculty, staff, and students decorating rocks with kind and encouraging messages. Photo by Hannah Patterson/Costello College of Business.
The following week, on World Kindness Day, Christine Landoll, director of business engagement and senior instructor of business foundations, brought the rocks to her BUS 303 class, encouraging her students to share the rocks with their friends and spread them across campus. “Coming back from my class—by the steps in Enterprise Hall—I spied one of the laid rocks, and it said, ‘The world is a better place with you in it!’ How awesome is that? That certainly made my day, and I hope many other people’s too,” she said.
“Our volunteers’ commitment to service truly embodies the Costello spirit and shows the difference we can make when we come together. I’m so proud that we honored this naming anniversary milestone through service and strengthened our community—one small act of kindness at a time."
— Julia Coulter, events and administrative coordinator for the dean’s office
“Our volunteers’ commitment to service truly embodies the Costello spirit and shows the difference we can make when we come together,” said Julia Coulter, events and administrative coordinator for the dean’s office. “I’m so proud that we honored this naming anniversary milestone through service and strengthened our community—one small act of kindness at a time."
The Annual Day of Service not only marked a milestone for the Costello College of Business but also reinforced its commitment to fostering a culture of compassion, inclusion, and community engagement. Through collective efforts and small acts of kindness, the Costello community demonstrated that service is more than a tradition—it’s a cornerstone of its identity.