Zayd Hamid, Candidate for Vice President of Mason Square Campus
Graduate Degree Program: Master’s student, Public Policy, Schar School of Policy and Government (full-time student)
Expected Date of Graduation: May 2026
Campus of Academic Department: Mason Square (Arlington)
Campus(es) of Classes, Work, and/or Residence: Fairfax, Mason Square (Arlington), Online
Biography and Candidate Statement
My name is Zayd Hamid, and I am a first-generation Master of Public Policy student running for GAPSA Vice President of Arlington Campus (Mason Square) to uplift graduate voices and represent our student experiences to policymakers in the state government, university administration, and beyond. For the last year, the Mason Square campus has been a home away from home. I take classes here and regularly attend career-oriented and social events hosted by GAPSA, the Schar School, the Carter School, and University Life. Outside of Arlington, since 2021, I have led students to meet with state legislators as part of the university’s annual legislative fly-in day, Mason Lobbies, and helped secure multimillion-dollar investments in infrastructure, student financial aid, and more—which earned me a national award for my advocacy. And as a graduate professional assistant within University Life this year, I further represented our interests as the co-chair of the State Council of Higher Education’s student advisory committee for the 2024-2025 academic year. I have advocated for our community to policymakers in Fairfax and Richmond and would be honored to continue doing so as your regional vice president. In that role, I intend to work with university, local, and state policy leaders to sustain resources and build career-relevant and socially-enriching opportunities for the Mason Square campus student community. I would be honored to earn your vote to do it and to work with you to advance the quality of our student experience in Arlington and at George Mason.
Availability and Commitment to the Time and Expectations of the Position
Yes, I will be able to meet the time commitments and expectations of the position. I am a full-time student, taking six credits in addition holding a graduate assistantship within University Life. I intend to do that again next year for both semesters. I sometimes work for Mason Recreation as a substitute manager on duty, which is a minor and flexible time commitment. I balanced working on-campus as an undergraduate alongside serving in student government from 2021 to 2024, so I am accustomed to the work-life balance that taking on this role would necessitate.