Josue Fuentes joined Hispanos Unidos de Guilford and later became the club's president. culture and fosters a supportive community for Latinx students and the wider campus.
Josue graduates this week with a degree in Business Administration. He's coming back in the fall to pursue an MBA.
“I saw the change that the community had on me and I wanted that for others. When students – especially freshmen – come up to me, I tell them it’s not the college that makes the experience special. It’s the people. That’s what made Guilford special for me. I want to pass that on.”
Truth be told Josue Fuentes ’25 wasn’t sure what he was walking into when he first arrived at Guilford three years ago.
Born in Honduras and raised in Washington, D.C., Josue transferred to Guilford after receiving a Golden Door Scholarship, which supports immigrant students like him with financial assistance to attend college.
He didn’t know much about Guilford – only that his mom, Laresa, thought it was too far from home, and his dad, Julio, wasn’t especially impressed when he brought Josue to Guilford in 2023. They got turned around driving through the campus, unsure where to go.
“Eventually, we just parked and started walking to Founders Hall,” Josue recalls. “It was the biggest building, and it looked important.”
Josue laughs about that first impression now, because the Guilford he’s come to know and love feels worlds away from that initial uncertainty.
This month, Josue will become the first in his family to graduate from college, earning a degree in Business Administration with minors in Finance and Computer Technology & Information Systems. But just as important to Josue is the home he found at Guilford.
“Almost from the start, everyone reached out to me – inviting me to the (cafeteria) for lunch or dinner,” he says. “They made me feel part of this place. I don’t think other colleges have that kind of thing going on.”
Josue understands the power of belonging—and how it can ripple outward. He joined Hispanos Unidos de Guilford (HUG), a campus club that celebrates Latinx culture and fosters a supportive community for Latinx students and the wider campus.
A year after joining HUG, he became the club’s president. His accomplishments were many. He launched monthly mentorship workshops for a cohort of more than 40 students. He also took Guilford’s message of inclusion beyond campus, speaking to high school students who might not have considered college a possibility.
“I saw the change that the community had on me and I wanted that for others,” he says. “When students – especially freshmen – come up to me, I tell them it’s not the college that makes the experience special. It’s the people. That’s what made Guilford special for me. I want to pass that on.”
He’ll have more time to do just that. Josue is staying at Guilford to pursue an MBA in the fall. He learned this month that he was named a Presidential Fellow, an honor that will help cover his graduate studies. He hopes to one day start and run his own business. But that’s for later.
For now, graduation can’t come soon enough. On May 17, Josue’s parents, Julio and Laresa, and his twin brothers, Caleb and Dylan, will be on the Quad to watch him walk, proud witnesses to the first Fuentes college graduate.
“It means a lot to me and to them,” Josue says. “I know they’re proud. “I want my education to let me one day be able to support them like they supported me. I want to answer my siblings' questions about college when it’s their turn.”
Josue is determined to share his story with other immigrant students. He plans on sharing all of it – the turning and getting lost on campus, to finding his home and turning his tassel – to anyone who will listen. “If my graduation inspires others, I’m going to tell them every chance I get,” Josue says. “Letting people know it’s possible to break some barriers – that’s a good thing. A good feeling to have. That needs to be shared.”