#BreathWithMe Revolution Intern Advocacy and Coalition Building & Communications Director

Faeven is currently a junior pursuing a major in Government and International Politics with a concentration in Governance, Law, and Philosophy and a minor in African and African American studies.

She currently serves as George Mason’s Chapter of NAACP’s Vice President, The African and African American Studies Departments Outreach Executive, and Peer Advisor as well as being a Community Assistant working in GMU Housing and Residence Life.

She was also previously the Ethiopian Eritreans Student Associations Ambassadors Affairs Officer and Philanthropist. Lastly, Faeven is an esteemed Global Politics Fellow

She is the recipient of the Black Excellence Galas (2023) Black Scholar of the Year Award due to her superior academic achievement while also being a driving force in her community through involvement and service. While demonstrating a high level of leadership and continuing to give selflessly to her community and Mason at large.

Along with the Superior Service Award which was awarded to her through her previous position as the Community Service Chair within the NAACP. This award is presented to a Registered Student Organization that has developed and executed a community service project, fundraiser, or awareness project for both the Mason Community and Northern Virginia community at large.

Faeven has been nominated/ selected to the following honor societies due to high academic achievement:

The Society for Collegiate Leadership & Achievement (SCLA)

Beta Kappa Chapter of Lambda Sigma National Honor Society

The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS)

Outside of academic pursuits, Faeven is actively involved in various advocacy and activism initiatives. Such as:

  • being a speaker at United for Democracy’s Launch event with Senator Whitehouse and Representative Bo. Mitchell along with other passionate activists where she spoke about the threat that banning Affirmative Action poses to underrepresented individuals and their access to higher education.
  • Holding a seat within the Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerments Cultural Retreat planning Committee that gives selected students of different backgrounds the platform to create a curriculum that ensures representation of all identities
  • Winning the Black Mason HOCO Royalty Court which gives Black students a platform to advocate about issues that they are passionate about within the Black Community. Faeven’s Platform was Knowledge is Power.
  • Being a selected Student ambassador for George Mason’s AAAS and CCEE department to assist in the creation of a ground-breaking social justice curriculum in Cape Town South Africa. In this position, She will assist in forging partnerships with various organizations to foster international collaboration and promote equity and empowerment. While collectively working towards the mission of cultivating leadership skills, raising awareness, and taking meaningful action to address global social inequities.

When it comes to the John Mitchell Jr Program specifically, Faeven interned with one of our partners: the Black Music Action Coalition, a prominent organization driving change through the #BreatheWithMe Revolution. This movement is dedicated to influencing culture on matters of racial justice and equity, focusing on policy, philanthropy, and voter education.

“As the Advocacy and Coalition Building Fellow within the Mitchell program, I am honored to contribute my skills and passion as an intern.

This experience will allow me to contribute to initiatives that empower and uplift the Black community. I am incredibly honored to have been given this opportunity!” Said Dereje

Working to understand the legacies of Historic racial harms and the significance that racial repair holds is very important to Faeven and is work she hoped to continue to do.

Other than interning, Faeven holds the position of Communications Director in the Mitchell Program