MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Friends,

THE GUILFORD EDGE HAS ARRIVED — ushering in an exciting new era in the life of the College. Our totally reimagined and unsurpassed educational experience offers great promise in driving Guilford to new heights of national distinction. We are excited to report on the long-anticipated early returns from the unsurpassed student experiences with the Edge.

In the cover story for this issue of Guilford College Magazine, Jed Edwards ’20 and Aaron Eisenburg ’20 write about student experiences with the Learning Collaboratively component of the Edge in the U.K., Germany, Spain, India and Norway, as well as domestically during our inaugural 3-week term. As senior honors students, they participated in the U.K. program at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, England, which was the Hogwarts Castle in the Harry Potter series.

Our curriculum has been transformed along with the academic calendar, and the positive changes do not stop there. In this issue, you will read about the multitude of recent facilities improvements, including the restoration of Binford and Milner Halls to provide an outstanding residential experience for students. The restoration of Rachel's Rose Cottage was funded by trustee Fred Taylor '77, creating a beautiful gathering space. Meanwhile, the remodeled Founders Dining Center is bright and welcoming and Hege-Cox Hall has seen upgrades that enhance our Art programs.

Philanthropic support is fueling Guilford’s upward trajectory. To date, nearly $5 million has been raised for the Edge from trustees, alumni and other individuals and organizations. The Tannenbaum-Sternberger Foundation of Greensboro provided a large grant impacting curricular redesign, facilities, scholarships, faculty development, internships and fellowships. And Steve Trout ’82 and Athena Trout created a fund supporting internships for rising seniors in honor of Paul Zopf, Professor Emeritus of Sociology & Anthropology, Steve’s academic and thesis advisor at Guilford.

Guilford is a remarkable community of students, faculty, alumni, parents and friends. In this issue you will read about Exel Estrada ’21 and his application of ethical leadership to his studies and his career plans. You will find profiles of recent alums who are doing amazing work in their communities, as well as news about alumni awards presented to distinguished Guilfordians, and those whose lives we celebrated with their passing in recent months.

Our new Volunteer Program is the cornerstone of our updated alumni engagement model and our commitment to an active and robust Alumni Association that models Guilford values and pride. Volunteers will support Edge-related career preparation for students as well as the planning, promotion and execution of College events, including sharing their Guilford stories with prospective students and their families.

There is so much for alumni, parents and benefactors to be enthused about at this moment in time at Guilford College. For that reason, I am excited to invite you into a new level of engagement with the College as we build our sustainable future together.