For all the different hometowns they claimed and areas of interest they professed, the roughly 400 first-year students arriving Sunday at Guilford College described remarkably similar emotional states.

They all spoke of combined excitement and anxiety as they faced new roommates, their first college classes, their first time out on their own.

As would be expected at the start of any new journey charged with so much expectation, uncertainty, and import, they were eager to get going. Many were anxious, too, for a whole host of reasons.

Eager to Help Others

Alan Bragg '26 wasn’t sure what to expect on Day 1 at Guilford. An uncle drove him from his Charlotte home to Founders Hall early Sunday morning, but he couldn’t stay because he had to get back to Charlotte for work. 

That’s when Alan got his first view of Guilford’s community in action. Football players and other volunteers helped him sign in and get his belongings up to his third-floor Binford Hall room. 

“I was a little nervous because I don’t know anybody — I still am,” Alan said, mid-morning. “But with everyone being so helpful I want to turn that nervousness into something positive and help others. I can’t wait to (unpack) and see who I can help.”

‘New Faces, New People’

Isabella Harris '26 has attended the same charter school in Charlotte since fifth grade. Put another way, that’s eight years of being around the same classrooms, the same students.

Her first day at Guilford seemed like an adventure. “Everything’s so new,” she said. “New faces, new people, new everything. It’s pretty exciting.”

Isabella was fairly selective in her college search. She knew she wanted to attend a small school with strong Criminal Justice undergraduate and graduate programs. Early on in her search, Guilford checked all the boxes.

She attended orientation in June and toured the campus again in July, but both took place on a largely empty campus. Sunday that same campus was teeming with students, families, and members of the football team helping students like Isabella move in.

“I mean, I know it’s only the first day, but I know I’ve made the right decision,” she said.

‘More Like a Community than a College’

Taylor Thompson '26 isn’t as certain as Isabella, but she's ready for the experience. 

The first-year student from Stone Mountain, Ga., showed up with her mother, Tonya Thompson, and the two started unloading their car. She’ll be in a quad with seven other suitemates at Bryan Hall, but she’s a bit anxious.

“One of the reasons (I chose Guilford) was because it’s small, and I’m hoping to meet people,” Taylor said. “I didn’t want to get lost at a big school where nobody knew my name. I heard Guilford’s not like that. I heard it’s a lot more like a community than a college.”

Ready to Make His Own Path

Seth Craigo-Snell ’92 graduated from Guilford. So did his wife, Shannon ’92, who is a recent addition to the College's Board of Trustees. So it was a given that Elias Craigo-Snell '26 would follow in his parents’ footsteps.

Well, not so fast.

“They really left it up to me,” Elias said. “They never forced it on me.”

But when Elias showed up last spring to tour the College, he said “it felt like home.” 

“I liked the small feel and the accountability you have with your classmates and faculty,” he said.

The first thing he packed for Guilford was his Taylor guitar. Next came his turntable followed by about 50 albums. 

After a lazy summer back home in Louisville, Ky., Elias said he’s ready to be “intellectually stimulated.”

“I’m excited to get going,” he said.

“You’re going to make your own path,” Seth told him.

‘I’m Ready to Go’

Everyone showed up to move in Narisha Davis '26. Mom, Dad, four little sisters, her aunt, and her best boy friend – “but he’s not my 'boyfriend,' ” Narisha explained.

The only other person she wanted to be there, her grandfather, died in 2014. So when it came time to start packing for college, the first thing she packed was the teddy bear her grandfather gave her.

“I miss him, but having ‘Bear’ here is kinda like having him here with me,” she said.

Narisha, who grew up in New Orleans before the family moved to Rural Hall, N.C., a few years ago, wants to be an anesthesiologist. First, she plans to earn her Biology degree at Guilford.

“I love everything about Guilford,” Narisha said. “I’m ready to go.”

After everyone helped her make her bed, put her clothes away, and arrange her closet, it was time to say goodbye. 

Lots of hugs all around before leaving Narisha and Bear and the rest of Guilford’s Class of 2026 to get ready for the school year.

Are you interested in becoming part of the Guilford College community? Start your application today, or contact the Office of Admission for more information at 336.316.2100 or admission@guilford.edu. You can also schedule your personalized tour of campus any time. We're excited to get to know you!