FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason men's track and field student-athlete Jaylen Simmons has been selected as a recipient of the George Mason OrthoVirginia Student Achiever Award, an honor that recognizes outstanding student-athletes for their efforts in the classroom and out in the community.
 
The Waynesboro, Va., native was honored at the George Mason men's basketball game against VCU on Wednesday.
 
As part of his commitment to community service, Simmons co-sponsored and organized the fundraiser A Push for Justice along with fellow Mason students to raise awareness and funding to support the Hinesight Foundation. Hinesight is a non-profit organization concentrated on addressing generational poverty in communities through family empowerment. The student-athlete event raised over $7,000 for the foundation. 
 
In addition to A Push for Justice, Simmons is a leader on the team who has served on Athletics' Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the Community Outreach and Action Subcommittee.
 
A standout competitor within Mason Athletics, he holds the shot put school record and is an NCAA qualifier as a member of the men's track & field team.  
 
OrthoVirginia Student Achiever Definition:
The OrthoVirginia Student Achiever Award has been put into place to recognize outstanding student-athletes not just for their athletic performances. The student-athlete can be recognized for anything that they have done that exceptional outside their playing field… whether it be community service, leadership on campus, consistent performance in the classroom, incredible attitude, recovering from a long injury, improvement on the field, etc.