Elizabeth Appenzeller '04

Intimacy Fosters Excellence

I didn't start off at Guilford. I started college at a big state university and didn't do very well academically or socially. I didn't really have any direction academically. I was only a freshman, but I didn't really know where I was going, and what my major was going to be. I didn't have a lot of good girlfriends at Appalachian, even though I was doing two team sports. I felt adrift. I really just needed a smaller school.

I've known of Guilford all my life — my granddad had been at Guilford for more than 30 years as the athletic director—but when I was first looking at colleges, I didn't even remember that Guilford existed. The summer after my first year of college, my dad brought me to Guilford and walked me around the campus. It wasn't until I talked to the soccer coach that I even thought that maybe I'd end up here. I knew I could come in to Guilford and immediately play, and have a spot on the team. That's what solidified my decision to come here.

As soon as I got to Guilford, things started falling into place. To fulfill a requirement, I took a justice and policy studies class, and I fell in love with the coursework. I decided to major in criminal justice as well as history, and I'll be attending law school this fall. I got really involved doing things with the soccer team and the tennis team and then Community Senate and CHAOS and cheering—just different things I picked up over the years.

Guilford brought everything together for me. I don't know where I'd be if I had done anything else. It helps that at Guilford there are so many people that care about you. If I didn't go to class, someone knew I wasn't there. And having coaches and teammates to keep me on track, and the professors themselves that cared about what I was doing. They paid attention to my work and questions and were willing to see me after class. That really helped me stay focused, on track, and it really made a big difference.

A big part of college takes place outside the classroom. Coming to Guilford, and getting involved in this community has really helped me grow as a person. Being involved in different things here, and the way the classes are structured—you always have the chance to look at different points of view. I grew up in a small town and then went to this big school where things weren't really that different. I didn't feel like I grew much. But things were so different here, and I look at things differently now. That's what Guilford taught me.

I'm just really happy I ended up coming here. I have direction, and I feel like everything is moving forward now.