BA in Integrative Studies

Shemika Curvey, 2025

A former U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sergeant, Shemika completed research focusing on Black history, identity, and resistance as she continues on a bachelor’s to accelerated master’s degree (BAM) tract at George Mason. She is from Montgomery, Alabama - and is majoring in Integrative Studies with a concentration in Social Justice & Human Rights. 

What has been your favorite INTS course so far and why?

Critical Race Studies with Dr. Manuel-Scott. It provided the scaffolding, language, and frameworks necessary for future scholarship and work in social justice. 

What are you most proud of during your time here at Mason? 

The research skills acquired and research projects I’ve completed with the Center for Mason Legacies. 

What was the most impactful class you took in your major?  

My most impact class was Critical Race Studies taught by Professor Manuel-Scott. I consider it the most impactful because of the scaffolding it provided, offering the language and frameworks necessary for my future scholarly endeavors. 

What activities were you involved in during your time at George Mason that impacted you?  

I joined the Center for Mason Legacies (CML) in the summer of 2023 and had opportunities to present my research locally and at the Virginia Forum. CML shaped me as a scholar, showing me how research can be a powerful tool in social justice work. 

What is your most memorable moment at George Mason inside or outside of the classroom?  

Presenting my research project "Partus Sequitur Ventrem" at the Andy Smith Research Symposium in 2023. My first semester at George Mason I took a history course, "Black Lives Next Door," that shaped the rest of my undergraduate experience. To culminate the course, we employed the skills learned by presenting the research projects we'd worked on all semester. Through this course and the associated research project, I discovered a love for research, history, and storytelling I never knew was possible. 

As you are reflecting on your time at George Mason, what is one piece of advice you would give a student who is just starting off on their George Mason journey? 

A liberatory education will not be handed to you, it must be sought out and pursued. The pursuit will be hard, exciting, exhausting, and gratifying, but attaining the liberatory education of your choosing will always be worth it! 

What is your next step after graduation? What are your future plans?

Graduate school to complete my MA and PhD.