They start as professors, strangers in a classroom passing out a syllabus and maybe a smile. But over the course of a semester, four years at Guilford, or even a lifetime, Guilfordians say those professors become oh-so-much more. They become mentors and coaches, cheerleaders and champions. They drop you a text when you’ve missed their last two lectures or find a front-row seat at Ragan-Brown for your big game.
"Readings, discussions, and community-based learning give students a new lens through which to make meaning of their own life experiences. I want students to find meaning in every class. This new understanding inspires and motivates students and alums to advocate and organize in their communities to make these systems more liberating and healing.”
Caption: Josie Williams ‘16 (left) says the day she met Guilford Professor Sherry Giles is the day “I was introduced to the world."
And while you may not have seen it at the time, they were cheering you on in the classroom, too, helping you discover hidden passions, offering you views of the world through a kaleidoscope of lenses and instilling in you the audacity to actually believe you can change your corner of that world.
Josie Williams ’16 remembers walking into Guilford Professor Sherry Giles’ Community Problem Solving class as an adult student back in 2014. “The day I was introduced to Sherry," says Josie, Executive Director of the Greensboro Housing Coalition since the spring of 2020, "was the day I was introduced to the world. It was like that class and Sherry teaching it were made for me.”
Every Guilford graduate knows a Sherry, a professor who rose above and beyond their job description to help you change for the better. So it was no surprise when we asked Guilfordians about professors who have made a profound impact on their lives, we heard from so many of you.It is often said that Guilford College changes lives. Here are some of the students and professors behind those life-changing stories.
“One of my first classes at Guilford was Sherry Giles’ Community Problem Solving. I will never forget just how engaging and genuinely real she was as a professor. Sherry didn't mind talking about real issues and paralleling those issues to our studies. We did the book work, sure, but Sherry allowed us to talk about real-life issues so we could align our thoughts with the reality of our experiences. And I think that that's the key to learning: Sherry lets you discover or learn more about a subject or yourself and apply it in real life. Because of the classwork and the way she created trust and space to discuss real issues, I was able for the first time to look at things from a different perspective and within the context of restorative justice. Sherry didn't know at the time (and many still don't) that I have a brother incarcerated. Because of her, I was able to process my thoughts on him and open up to a new perspective. This helped my growth and development and increased my understanding. After experiencing homelessness, I needed education, not to validate my experience, but to actually understand how I got there in the first place. To do that you need the space for that growth to happen. Sherry created that space.”
Now It’s Your Turn: Do you have a Guilford professor who changed your life? We want to hear from you. Drop us a note at bellrw@guilford.edu and share your story.
