Even in high school, Maddi Page ’24 knew she wanted to major in Business in college. Less certain was whether she should pursue that degree at a liberal arts college like Guilford. Turns out it was one of the best decisions of Maddi’s life.

When the Page family gathers for Maddi’s graduation May 18 at the College ceremony in the quad, there will be a lot to celebrate including a successful academic and athletic career at Guilford. But there’s more to come.

While other students took four years getting to this point, Maddi, needed just three. In fact, the past year she’s been balancing an academic schedule that includes wrapping up her undergraduate work while simultaneously pursuing her MBA. She’s expected to secure her MBA in December.

Maddi showed up at Guilford in 2021 with enough credits from high school to qualify as a sophomore, but even with that head start she wasn’t sure a small school was for her.

“I was super hesitant coming to Guilford because obviously it’s not exactly the traditional business school,” says Maddi. “But actually it was a lot better education than I would have ever gotten at a bigger, more traditional university.”

Maddi says the liberal arts aspect of her degree opened her up to “so many different fields of study I would have never gotten at a bigger state school. Seeing and learning those different fields have made me so much more well rounded and versatile.”

A captain and All-Conference player on the women’s volleyball team, Maddi wants to work in marketing, either for a sports team or a big business. A Business (and soon to be MBA) degree from a school like Guilford will help her relate to a wider business audience when she goes to work. “There’s not a field I would be uncomfortable in after Guilford,” she says.

Maddi, who’s held down two marketing internships during her time at Guilford, says she decided to earn her MBA at Guilford because she thought it would make her more competitive for jobs. There was another reason too, one that was more emotional.

She grew up in Jonesboro, Ga., a five-hour drive from Greensboro. Guilford, she says, makes her feel like Jonesboro is a little closer. “I really love it here,” she says. “Guilford has been a home away from home for me. I made a lot of good friends, I love the faculty. This is like the best of both worlds – getting to stay a little longer and get my MBA.”

Maddi’s sister attended the University of Georgia. “That’s a great school but in the end you’re just kind of a number,” she says. “At Guilford, you’re a person. When I go home people already know about UGA. I get to brag about Guilford back home and how I’ve made friends for life and how it’s set me up for success.”