Alumni Profiles

B.S., double major — Chemistry and Physics, 2009

Doctoral student, University of North Carolina, Biophysics

Chapel Hill, N.C.

Ryan Vary went to Guilford College to play soccer, but a strange thing happened: He turned into a socially responsible scholar. He certainly did play soccer, but he also learned that his life had the potential to be more than athletics alone.

“I want to help the whole community,” says Ryan, “because I definitely feel a responsibility to help, to be very active, not just a bystander.”

He wasn’t that way in high school. “I have a voice now, but I didn’t before Guilford. It’s funny — you don’t think about how you’re changing and becoming socially responsible, but it happens. You grow, you evolve, and today I am much more vocal, much less afraid to say what I believe in and to act on those beliefs.”

Ryan was on a lot of committees at Guilford, working on the Westerwood Tree Planting Project, chairing the Volunteer Subcommittee of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, serving as a College Marshall, working as a member of the Sophomore Advisory Committee and generally encouraging his soccer teammates to get involved. It was a transformative time for him: “There is no question that Guilford College changed my life. I arrived in my own little world, but then I was exposed to people from all over the country, all over the world, and all with different backgrounds. At Guilford, you don’t sit in a large lecture hall with other students. You sit with them in very small classes, and everyone interacts — you learn to work with them, to understand their perspectives on all kinds of different issues. And as you learn to listen, to respect the views of others, you also learn that you can get along with them, with almost anybody. So now I feel very adept at conflict resolution, at working in teams … I am much more open-minded and I feel unafraid of conflict. That’s quite a life lesson.”

Ryan adds: “Guilford College showed me that I wanted to be, and that I could be, an intellectual, a scholar. Soccer was still a wonderful part of my life, but it was far less important than when I was a kid.” It began in his sophomore year: “It was in a sophomore lab course that I felt it first. I was in a small group of students that put together an amazing research project, and in doing that work I had the realization — I can really do this! I can be a scholar.”

Today his plans include doing research with a purpose: “I want to do research in areas that have meaning, that make a difference. That’s why I chose to get my doctorate at UNC — because I’ll be working with a group of graduate students who are helping develop treatments to halt the progression of [the lethal neurodegenerative disorder known as] Alzheimer’s disease.”

UNC, where the entire chemistry department is consistently ranked among the top in the nation, was not Ryan’s only option for graduate work. He chose that program over those at Brown, Georgetown and the University of Virginia. Part of his decision, he says, hinged on the fact that he’s not a big fan of big cities. “I love the beautiful Guilford College campus, so being in an urban setting would be difficult for me.” And although he does like Charlottesville, the university situated in Chapel Hill is more appealing to him, offering not only a small-town feel but also smaller research groups than at most comparable institutions.

“At Guilford College I learned that smaller classes would challenge me more but still provide support if it’s needed. We learned to do research at a very young age, and the integrated lab approach meant that we were doing independent research. The professors were there if you got stuck, but you carved your own path, and you learned to ask the right questions. That meant a lot to me.”

Ryan is still amazed by the personal relationships with his professors: “Some professors gave up their lunch time to work with us, others had us over to their homes for meals and for family celebrations. They gave us their home phone numbers, saying to call if we needed help. It was amazing. Of course, you soon feel a part of a big family, and so you work even harder because you don’t want to disappoint these wonderful, generous professors who work so hard for you!”

Ryan hasn’t disappointed anyone, leading the way in every aspect of his life, embracing the utmost integrity. “That’s one of the core values of Guilford,” he says, “integrity. It means you must be true to yourself. Don’t cheat, don’t just slide through. Be truly invested and do the work, avoiding the easy path and the materialistic one. And if you maintain your integrity all the time, the other core values fall into place.”

For 10 weeks of the summer following his junior year, Ryan was one of only eight college students chosen from around the United States to participate in a research experience at Georgetown University funded by the National Science Foundation. That time allowed him to collaborate on his senior thesis with a Georgetown professor, “and it certainly helped my resume,” he says, adding: “I feel especially fortunate, in that my time at Georgetown confirmed to me that I definitely could do graduate-level work.”

Ryan has these words of advice to those considering Guilford College: “Imagine being able to go across the street and have coffee with your professors, learning all about them — their life history, their training, what issues matter to them. Now imagine yourself at a large university, where you won’t know anything about your professors, they won’t know about you — not even your name. Which setting do you want? I can tell you that the relationships with your Guilford College professors are very personal and are lifelong. I will always be in touch with these mentors.”