There is a fine line between poetry and mathematical proofs. Deon McFarland ’24 has always been fascinated by the beauty and patterned elegance of numbers. He’s a self-described organizer of all things – photos, books and, of course, numbers.

“It’s not for everyone but I like organizing and putting everything together,” says Deon, an Accounting major, who will pursue a master’s in Forensic Accounting at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in the fall. “When you can match up the balance sheet correctly and everything equals zero or equals the same amount or number in another column, that’s something that’s really fun to me.”

In order to walk later this month at Guilford’s Commencement, Deon has had to apply many of those accounting skills to his daily life. He’s had to line up his hours spent as the chief photographer and videographer of the College’s Athletic Department, and he’s had to balance the hours he’s spent photographing countless athletic events while juggling his time as Student Body President and classroom student.

“It’s a lot to do and I never thought I’d be as involved at Guilford as I’ve been, but if you enjoy what you are doing, you find that balance to make everything happen. It keeps me busy for sure,” he says.

There’s been no time for rest during the summers. Deon has spent the past two years working a summer internship at the accounting firm of Ernst & Young in Charlotte. He hopes to work there after completing his master’s next year.

On campus, Deon is known  as Student Body President, but probably even more as the guy who's always taking photos at sporting events. As a first year, he applied for a job in the College’s Marketing Department, to shoot campus video and photos. His responsibilities only grew from there.

His love of photography came from creating highlight videos of him and his middle school friends playing basketball in Greensboro. His first video for Guilford was creating a tour of the athletic facilities. Deon even doubled as the narrator. “I fell in love with it,” he says. “It’s been a fun hobby and I’ve learned a lot.”

Earned a little too. Deon now has his own website where he archives and sells his photos.

He says Guilford gave him opportunities he might never have gotten at a larger school. It’s been really cool to add on and try different things,” he says. “If you want to join a club, there’s a club for you, if you want to be president of that club – or even Student Body President – you can do that, too. When I was a freshman I never thought I’d accomplish as much as I have, but that’s Guilford. It gives you those opportunities.”