Michael Crouch ’10 and ’12 was looking for a job outside the contracting textile industry when he came across a classified ad in Greensboro’s News & Record. Guilford College was looking for a graphic and editorial associate. Michael mailed off his resume (it was 2004, after all).

That’s the short story to what’s turned out to be a long story – 20 years to be exact. That’s how long Michael has worked at Guilford. He is among 27 employees who have hit service milestones at five-year intervals in 2024.

“Coming to Guilford was just the perfect fit for me,” said Michael. “I loved the vibe here – still do. I fit in right from the start.”

Along the way Michael picked up two degrees at Guilford, to go along with a degree as a traditional-aged student at UNCG. The first came in 2010 when he earned a Religious Studies degree.

Two years later, Michael graduated with a degree in Community and Justice Studies. Except he didn’t walk the stage at Commencement because he was taking photos of the ceremony for the College in his role as a Communications & Marketing staff member.

At one point, Michael was pursuing his second degree while teaching a graphic design course making him the rarest of Guilforidans – a student, instructor, staff member and alum.

He’s worked out of five buildings (New Garden Hall, King Hall, Alumni House, the basement in Bauman and leased space in a shopping center across Friendly Avenue where Advancement was located for nine years). He’s had so many job titles he stopped counting.

These days he’s Director of Brand and Marketing Operations, but that doesn’t begin to describe all he does.

Have a brochure that needs to be designed and printed? Call Michael. Need signage for an event? Check in with Michael. Looking for help setting up a room for a speaker on campus? Michael’s your guy. Photos? Michael. Web page updates? Michael.

“Every day’s going to be something different,” he said.

Growing up in King, a rural town north of Winston-Salem, Michael actually looked at Guilford as a high school student, but passed. He thought he needed more structure than the open learning environment Guilford has built its reputation on, so he enrolled at UNCG, where he earned a degree, double-majoring in Design and Communications. 

“Turns out I wasn’t very good with structure,” Michael said, laughing. “I needed Guilford as a student and maybe, I guess, as an employee.”

Twenty years later that sentiment hasn’t changed. “I still love coming to work,” he said. “There are a lot of great people to work with, who believe in the College. They make it a nice place to come to everyday.”