To All Members of the Guilford Community,A friend of mine recently shared a book with me that she purchased to help her daughter choose a college. The book was called Colleges That Change Lives. I was happy to see that Guilford was included in this book, because it certainly did change my son’s life. I wanted to take the opportunity to thank every member of the Guilford community, from the students, teachers and staff, to the president, the cafeteria workers and the custodians. I am truly grateful to each and everyone of you for the difference you made in my son’s life.

Few of you would have recognized Lucas as he struggled through a drug induced haze in high school where he could barely keep his head off the desk and had a 1.3 GPA. He managed to get his act together toward the end of high school, but felt lost and adrift as a student at the large, public university here in his home town. My son needed a change, and a chance reference to Guilford on an internet search did indeed change his life.

Guilford faculty not only asked Lucas to think, they taught him that his thoughts and opinions had value. The small classes at Guilford did not allow Lucas the annonimity he had suffered through in high school. For his classes at Guilford he had to show up prepared and ready for discourse.

Guilford also encouraged community service. This too, opened Lucas’ eyes to the world around him. These opportunities awakened in Lucas a desire to help other people on this journey through life. He learned that serving and being served are folds in the same garment.
An invaluable lesson to carry through life.

Today Lucas is a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras. Everyday brings new challenges and adventures his way. His ability to live and work in a second language/culture is one more gift from Guilford via the study abroad program that Lucas was able to experience for two semesters.

Guilford College offers students an amazing gift: self discovery. For three years, Lucas was encouraged to grow intellectually and emotionally, to discover who he was and what he was about. Like most families, the financial costs were a constant issue for us, but the return on our investment is priceless.
Guilford took in a kid with potential and turned him into a productive citizen of the world. I will be forever grateful.
Mary Ellen Keen
mother of Lucas Wolf, Guilford 2004
Fort Collins, Colorado