Student Profiles
Home State: Georgia
Major: Philosophy and English Literature
Class of 2011
When I was looking at colleges, Guilford was the first one I visited. As such, it became the base model to which every other school I visited was compared. At first I thought since Guilford had been first, I was putting it up on a pedestal, and that judging all the other schools in its shadow was unfair. But after a while, I realized that Guilford is simply a hard act to follow. It sets the bar high with its passionate faculty and strong community. As a Philosophy and English kid, I have gotten to know not only the teachers I have had for classes, but all the others in the department as well. Building relationships with my professors has helped motivate me in a way I never thought possible, and for the first time in my life I honestly feel like I am succeeding and making a difference in a community.
In high school I was one of those people who never really got involved in anything, and stood in the background. Guilford has completely changed me. My Sophomore year I became a tour guide, and now I find myself running the tour guide program, and loving every minute of it. I remember my first week at Guilford, wondering what I had gotten myself into and being so nervous about what life in college had in store for me. Then, during my very first FYE (First Year Experience) class, the teacher walked in and announced that his name was John. He then noted that he was easily confused, and that if we called him Mr, Sir, or professor, he would assume we were referring to someone else and ignore us completely. Such a sense of humor and light heartedness among the faculty here is quite common, and being on a first name basis with everyone really does make one feel more at home. At least, it did for me. I haven’t felt nervous or out of place since.
When I graduate I plan on going to law school. A goal that I never would have considered back when I was lazy enough to sleep entire weekends away. Guilford has done a great job preparing me for the future, and I look ahead with optimism and confidence.