The question I am commonly asked is if I regret choosing Guilford, and my answer is no. Guilford is special to me, as it has provided me with a community, a place to grow up, and a place to learn.
Guilford is constantly involved with something. We hold farmers markets as well as other events. We have our own farm that we maintain and use to create social interaction among everyone.
Guilford has taught me to grow up with the sense of being independent and learning how to be a responsible adult- anything from time management to doing my own laundry.
I have learned so much from being at Guilford. From classes, to accepting different ideas and cultures, to how to use a heater when your dorms heater goes out during Jan Term.
We have our own farm and are building an orchard. From this farm we not only have food for us for our cafeteria, we also hold a Farmers market for the community where you can buy vegetables as well as organic fresh laid eggs. This promotes social interaction between us and the community which is important to us. This also promotes sustainability in that we compost all waste to plant the vegetables and then we either eat them or sell them for a reduced price to our community to give back to it.
My time at Guilford has also taught me about being a grown up. I learned how to wash my own clothes and keep a schedule, when you live in a dorm you share that space, and have to come up with a schedule so everyone benefits. I also learned that I had to use my meal plan and balance my meals so I did not run out.
The classes at Guilford are awesome. We start out with a moment of silence. This symbolizes the fact that whatever you were doing before you entered the classroom has ended and now it is time to focus on learning and being your best self. The teachers go by first names and are eager to help the students learn through self-discovery and conversation.
Guilford also has different students, meaning that we have different voices and we all learn to hear one another. I have learned so much about other cultures, viewpoints and general ideas from attending this school.
My first week at Guilford was a trial to say the least. I kept pushing and it took the whole semester to work out a plan for myself to handle the course work, but I passed my first semester on top of receiving two scholarships and being told I scored the highest on the literacy exam making me eligible for this scholarship. Looking back I see that hard work pays off and that I am proud to be part of the sixty one percent to make it to Guilford. I am proud to say that I am a Guilfordian. And after graduating in May, I am proud to say that I am an Alum of Guilford.
