Deon McFarland ’24 won five Dick Dyer Awards  for 2024, which recognize students, faculty and staff whose goals, talents, community engagement and dedication have made a difference at Guilford.

The awards ceremony was held in a packed Carnegie Room in Hege Academic Commons March 28.

Deon, who will graduate this spring with a degree in Accounting, was voted by the Guilford community as having the most school spirit and possessing the most creativity. He also won the Helping Hand and Difference Maker awards and capped the ceremony by being named the Hardest Working Student.

When he’s not serving as Student Body President, the Greensboro resident can be found taking photos and shooting video of Guilford’s athletic teams. “It’s nice to be honored this way,” he says. “Usually I spend a lot of time behind the camera so to get this attention means a lot.”

Dozens of students, faculty and staff were honored at the annual ceremony held since 1998 and named for Dick, a former Assistant Dean of Student Life. Guilford’s Jazz Ensemble and Voices of Victory Gospel Ensemble performed.

In 18 years at Guilford before his untimely death in August 1997, Dick impacted hundreds of students’ lives, hearts and souls. He recognized and helped cultivate many less obvious or under-appreciated student goals and talents.

The award winners:

Club Focused Awards

• Most Active Club: HUG (Runner Up, Outdoors Club)
• Most Welcoming Club: Outdoors Club (Runner Up, HUG)
• Most Innovative Club:  Outdoors Club (Runner Up, HUG)
• Most Improved Club: Outdoors Club (Runner Up, HUG)
• Best Marketing Club: HUG (Runner Up, BSU)
• Best Club Event: (Roar) Puppy Love (Runner Up, HUG Latin X Gala)
• Ja'lessa Morris Club Advisor of the Year: Terra Roane (Runner Up, Janelle Morris)
• Student Focused Awards
• Most School Spirit: Deon McFarland (Runner Up, Josie Hemmer)
• Most Creative Student: Deon McFarland (Runner Up, Maren Lamb)
• Above & Beyond Award: Jacob Mitchell (Runner Up, Deon McFarland)
• Helping Hand Award: Zaira Porter (Runner Up, Jacob Mitchell, Jah Vivens and Hannah Hoffman)
• Wellness Award: Hannah Roten (Runner Up, Jacob Mitchell)
• Difference Maker Award: Deon McFarland (Runner Up, Grace Christensen)
• Hardest Working Student (Freshman):  Maeve Dunkerly (Runner Up - Nadeem Nasereddin and Isis Aranda)
• Hardest Working Student (Sophomore): Bec Cormack (Runner Up - Jah Vivens)
• Hardest Working Student (Junior): Jacob Mitchell (Runner Up, Griffin Icenhower)
• Hardest Working Student (Senior): Deon McFarland (Runner Up, Grace Christensen)

Staff and Faculty Awards

• Wellness Award: Meagan Holleman (Runner Up, Terra Roane)
• Difference Maker Award: Terra Roane (Runner Up, Steve Mencarini)
• Effective Communicator: Steve Mencarini (Runner Up, Lisa Cook and Donovan Smith)
• Student Advocate Award: Terra Roane (Runner Up, Heather Hayton)
• The “Heart of the College” Award: Terra Roane (Runner Up, Kyle Wooden)

Point System Award

• Club of year award: Outdoors Club