Congratulations Say Yes Guilford Scholars!

June 2021

Friends,

There is perhaps nothing more joyful than the sight of a child's smile on the last day of school. After a challenging school year that joy seems to shine even brighter this summer. Not only are children returning to sports, arts and outdoor camps, many are going back to school: nearly 16,000 are participating in Guilford County Schools' summer learning. Yes, students are excited to be in school, learning, even in the summer!

Say Yes Guilford is building on that excitement. Our very successful tutoring program which paired students and mentors for more than 4000 hours this school year will reach even more scholars. We are working closely with GCS to expand opportunities for career exploration to every middle schooler. And thanks to in-person and virtual options, more high schoolers and their families can participate in career and college counseling, financial aid workshops and college-prep classes. Colleges around the country saw a drop in enrollment this year, but persistence among Say Yes Guilford scholars was up: 88% of the 2019-20 freshman class continued their education in the 2020-21 academic year, compared to the national average of 76%.

Now is the time to invest in education. Give your time, your talent and your treasure to our students and the organizations that support them, and the investment will return exponentially. Don't know where to start? Reach out to me personally. Together we can make a difference in our schools and impact a better future for us all.

Best regards,

Wendy

Say Yes Guilford CEO

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Say Yes to Success!

Nicolette Robinson

Wake Forest University '22

“My goal is to be someone that other generations and my own siblings can look up to. I want to break all the barriers economically, racially, and even being a woman, breaking the barriers put in our society today.”

Read her story here.

Teagan Gilliam

Guilford College '23

Money can’t buy wisdom, but it can buy peace of mind and open doors to a future, something Teagan Gilliam understands more every day. “I want to make an impact on the world; I want to make myself proud.”

Read their story here.

Congratulations Wendy!

Say Yes Guilford is proud to announce CEO Wendy Poteat was named a 2021 Outstanding Woman in Business by the Triad Business Journal.

Board member Lolita Malave was also among the distinguished group!

In Case You Missed It...

1190 Guilford County Schools’ graduates attended college in 2020-21 with Say Yes Guilford scholarship support, an impact of more than $8.5 million. The number represents students from every GCS high school graduating between 2016 and 2020. Read more about SYG's impact.

Mark Your Calendar

July 13 at 5pm - GCS Board of Education Meeting
August 5 - First Day of School for Early and Middle Colleges and Academies;
August 9 - First Day of School for Extended Year Schools
August 10 at 4pm - GCS Board of Education Meeting
August 16 - First Day of School for Restart Schools
August 23 - First Day of School for Traditional Schools

Watch GCS 2021 Graduation Ceremonies!

Alumni for Education

Meet Willie Kea, a father, engineer, consultant and Say Yes Guilford Board Member advocate.

“My mother’s persistence about the importance of getting a good education as well as some teachers and counselors realizing how good I was at math led me to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University,” and that foundation still drives him today.

Alumni for Education Blog.

Have You Heard??

We started a podcast. Say Yes Guilford's popular Alumni for Education Blog is now streaming audio. Meet athletes, entrepreneurs, artists and other professionals with one thing in common, a passion for education. Check out our first edition featuring the one and only Bam Adebayo!

Say Yes Guilford In the News

Spectrum News: Reporter Eddie Hughes talked with Wendy Poteat and NC A&T Basketball Coach Will Jones about a partnership to pair elementary and college students on the the court and in the classroom.

WFMY: Say Yes Guilford Assistant Director of Student Outreach and Postsecondary Access Brandi Kennedy joined WFMY News 2’s Eric Chilton to discuss scholarships for GCS graduates, tutoring for K-8 students and college and career prep workshops for high schoolers and their families.

WGHP: Fox Morning News talked about scholarships and career and college preparations for high schoolers with Brandi Kennedy.

Triad Today: Say Yes Guilford's Brandi Kennedy and Warché Downing joined Jim Longworth to share Say Yes Guilford's impact for GCS high schoolers and graduates.

Greensboro Television Network: GTN featured Say Yes Guilford Director of Postsecondary Success and Data Warché Downing on FYI Weekly in May.

Irving Park Living: The magazine featured VP of Donor Impact Elizabeth Paul and her family in the June edition.