Ky’lexius came to Guilford with a large scholarship from the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation, which supports change-making college students. She’s passionate about gardening and bringing whole, healthful foods to those who don’t have access to them.

^{Learn more about Guilford's scholarships and commitment to affordability.}

“My goal is to create a green space on campus that’s both relaxing and interactive, a place for students to take a break,” she explains. “I hope to introduce them to the idea of horticultural therapy, where they can work in a garden and feel they are contributing to the environment.” She hopes the space provides students with a community to support their mental health and help them feel in control of their lives.
 
As a Practicum Sustainable Agriculture student, Ky’lexius is also dedicated to growing vegetables and fruits that immigrants enjoyed in their countries of origin, as a source of comfort and belonging here in the U.S. One day, she says she hopes to bring her gardening idea to fruition at schools in her hometown of Reidsville, N.C. 
 
“If it weren’t for Guilford, I wouldn't know half of what I now know about food security. I came here and learned that things could be so much better in the aspect of actually nurturing each other,” she says. “Community isn’t just a place where we live. We can enjoy being there, we can have new things, and we can grow together.” She also notes the health and therapeutic benefits of gardening and how it can help people who don’t have this important information for their wellbeing. 
 
Farming, Ky’lexius says, is her form of activism because it’s a tool for liberation and a way to give back to the place where she grew up.
 
“Not everybody gets to go to college like me, so it's important to give that same knowledge to people who may not have that chance,” she says. “I’m just so grateful, and I really hope that I get to do that.”

A Fruit-Bearing Idea

The seeds for the green space at Guilford were first planted at the spring 2022 Ignite Retreat hosted by the Sullivan Foundation. There, Ky’lexius joined other change-making students in a pitch competition for prize money. At first, she was hesitant to put her idea into the mix.
 
The retreatants were told that anybody can enter; they just had to present their ideas. 
 
“When it started, we had maybe five or 10 minutes to draw our posters. I’m not the most artistic person, and my handwriting has been the same my entire life. So I decided I just needed to get something on paper and make it colorful, make it green. I came up with the name of the project right off the top of my head — Here We Grow Healthy,” she recalls. “I ended up winning second place and $200!”

An Opportunity to Grow

After volunteering on the College Farm as a first-year student, Ky’lexius began learning more about the lack of quality foods in some communities through the Food Justice Club. 
 
“We met up just about every week to talk about issues like food apartheid and what food security means,” she says.
 
She was also involved in the Crop Caravan program. “We took food from the Farm to Glen Haven, an immigrant and refugee community. We harvested and packaged produce like from a farmers market stand, and the residents would come and get whatever they wanted for free.”
 
During her junior year, Ky’lexius took a cross-cultural education class. One of the requirements was tutoring at Glen Haven. 
 
“I only had been to Glen Haven to deliver food from Crop Caravan. I had never taken the time to really get to know the people. When I was tutoring, I got to know some of the kids and their parents, and they wanted to tell me all about their lives,” she says. “They were from Ethiopia and Burma and places from all over the globe. I felt comfortable being in that space because of the class I was taking.”
 
Her advice to underclass students?
 
Be willing to change your mind. Be willing to try something new. “Just do what your heart tells you to do,” she says. “I came in as an undeclared major, and Guilford allowed me to literally build my own course of study.”
 
After graduation, Ky’lexius plans to earn a certificate in nutrition and pursue work in the nonprofit sector. She wants to learn how to lead organizations — all with the aim of bringing her dreams of a community garden and learning center in Reidsville to fruition.

To learn more about sustainability on campus — and to meet students like Ky'lexius who share your interests — schedule your personalized visit to Guilford College. Contact the Office of Admission at 336.316.2100 or admission@guilford.edu today!