Madison Powers suspects the coronavirus might keep her from walking at graduation, but the Greensboro College senior will indeed graduate this spring, and she’s ready to tackle her dreams thanks in part to Say Yes Guilford.

Quarantined in her off-campus apartment, Madison works to finish the requirements for her early education license while helping prepare lessons for her 2nd grade classroom at Alamance Elementary. She started teaching there in January. “Lucky isn’t the word. I feel blessed; I feel grateful, all those things because I was able to complete 10 weeks of student teaching which is required,” she says.

Say Yes Guilford is committed to providing access to support services and scholarships designed to prepare Guilford County Schools’ students for success in college, career and life.

Powers hopes to teach in Guilford County Schools, but first she’s chasing another dream. “August to January, I will be attending Disney College!” Madison almost squeals with delight when she shares the news. She explains that five-month paid-internship will offer her the chance to learn new skills, meet people from all over the world and live in a place she’s dreamed of visiting since she was a little girl. “I’ve never been to Disney World.”

Following that dream would have been a lot harder without the support of Say Yes Guilford, she says.  “I basically went to college for free. It’s such a gift. I can do so many extraordinary things thanks to Say Yes.” Madison graduated from Eastern Guilford in 2016 and was among the first group of GCS graduates to earn a Say Yes scholarship. Thanks to a compact with more than 100 private colleges and universities, she qualified for a full tuition scholarship to Greensboro College. More than 100 Say Yes Guilford scholars attend Greensboro College.

Say Yes Guilford continues to support our scholars in college and high school seniors applying for scholarships through phone calls, emails and via our website, sayyesguilford.org. Since its inception, Say Yes Guilford has awarded over $8.6 million to GCS graduates, and our partnership with over 100 private colleges and universities provided another $11.3 million for a total impact of over $20 million.

High Point Community Foundation is a partner of Say Yes Guilford.