“It's my hope that, because of your generosity,

I will be able to take what I have learned at

Mason and continue serving our community.”

Joshua Lawton-Belous

Soldier, Student, and Advocate

Joshua Lawton-Belous knows something about overcoming challenges.

During his service as an Army medic in Iraq, he suffered what is reportedly a common injury for soldiers there—a traumatic brain injury. Josh’s wounds initially left him with difficulties in reading and memorization and with equilibrium issues.

Now a nursing and history double major at Mason, Josh does not let any lingering effects from his injury slow him down. In addition to his studies, he is the marketing chair for the university’s Student Veterans Association, treasurer of the Mason Military Patriots, vice chair of the Mason Veterans Center Project Task Force, and founder of the nonprofit Education for Virginia Veterans. Through these groups, he fosters understanding on the issues facing returning veterans, in particular those pursuing—and trying to pay for—their education.

The Vienna, Virginia, native speaks from personal experience. At one point, Josh worked two jobs before scholarship support relieved some of the burden. He received both the Bishop Book Award and the Hirsch Family Memorial Scholarship.

"It’s nice to know that the hard work I’ve done, whether it was through school or the experiences I’ve had, matters to someone," he said. "There’s nothing I can say to fully express my gratitude."

Josh believes his Mason degree will ready him for real-world challenges. And after he meets his goal of becoming a nurse, his next undertaking? He hopes to continue his education, possibly becoming a nurse practitioner or a doctor.