Ask Kyle Farmbry why he so loves his adopted second home of South Africa and listen to his stories of walking through Cape Town under the immense brow of Table Mountain and the heavy weight of over 130 years of history in Johannesburg — a history that closely parallels that of the U.S.

But it’s not enough to listen. You need to watch. The eyes first. See how Kyle’s widen. And the smile. Subtle at first before stretching to a grin. South Africa is the faraway country in the throes of upheaval Kyle read about and talked about in class as a middle school student at Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia.

He still remembers his sophomore year at George Washington University sitting in his dorm room, brimming with joy and pride when Nelson Mandela was released from prison. He still remembers his first visit to the country in 2002 staring out at Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean crashing against the shores.

“Everything about the country — the geography, the people, the food — is just beautiful to me,” he says. “I remember that first visit, hearing from people who were political prisoners and learning firsthand about people whose lives have been turned upside down by the apartheid government, and some of its actions and then finding ways to rebuild or to build a society that they wanted to build. I just remember thinking how I wanted to spend more time there and I wanted others to see this place that was so special to me.

“Really, for the past 21 years the country has been such a big part of my life. It's been like my second home.”

It’s a part of his life Kyle wants to share with Guilford students, faculty and staff. He’s devoted many hours and stories doing just that. Just this year the College signed agreements with two South African universities, the University of Pretoria and the University of Venda, to examine partnerships that would benefit both parties. In September Venda staff and faculty traveled to Guilford to meet with the College's faculty and administrators to learn more about one another.

Earlier this summer, members of Guilford’s inaugural MBA class traveled to Cape Town to study and focus on the entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystem of the country.

Kyle envisions faculty and student exchanges and joint research that could lead to additional revenue streams for both institutions. He wants the College to help find private funding that would enable local high school students to visit South Africa as a means of exposing the students to Guilford.

Besides helping grow Guilford, Kyle says trips to South Africa help students grow, too. He says he loves seeing students and faculty experience the range of emotions he first felt 21 years ago.

“A lot of times these trips are life-changing,” he says. “So many times I’ve seen through my students who have gone on South Africa trips that they want to go again or somewhere else. I’ve had former students who had an amazing experience and then have decided that they suddenly are thinking about the Peace Corps or they’re thinking they knew what they wanted to do for a career but now they see a whole bunch of other things in front of them they might want to engage in.”

“And, really, that’s what college – especially Guilford College – is about. Putting these opportunities in front of students to discover what they really want to do with their life.”