The Class of 1964 UNCG Guarantee Scholarship

When Charles Duncan McIver stepped up to serve as the State Normal and Industrial School’s inaugural president in 1891, he envisioned an institution that would bolster North Carolina through educating the underserved. “When you educate a woman,” he said, “you educate a family” – a statement that reflects the profound effect education has not only on individuals, but also on local, national, and global communities.

UNC Greensboro’s Class of 1964 were part of that vision. With many of its members identifying as first-generation college students or students who couldn’t expect financial support from their families, they appreciated the opportunities their UNCG education provided. The University’s tenacious focus on student success nurtured confidence as they learned the skills needed to thrive, and the bonds they formed with academic mentors and friends carried them through good and bad times in the decades after graduation.

As their 50th class reunion approached, the Class of 1964 hoped to continue McIver’s tradition of accessible education. Under the class leadership of Jean Abernethy Poston, Jane Francum Johnson, Ann Yarbrough Frazier, Judith Mock, and Anne Prince Cuddy, the Class of 1964 established the Class of 1964 UNCG Guarantee Scholarship Endowment.

The UNCG Guarantee is a selective scholarship program for high-achieving, low-income North Carolina undergraduate students. Launched in 2010, the Guarantee Program provides financial aid alongside outstanding co-curricular experiences that enhance students’ academic, professional, and personal successes. Among these are cohort captains – upper class Guarantee Scholars who are passionate about helping new students throughout their first year – and mentors selected from staff, faculty, alumni, and community members.

“The Guarantee helped me find my voice,” says Tyshea Lewis ’13, ’16 MED, the program’s first graduate and now its associate director. “It provides a space to explore interests and values – things these students will carry with them.”

The current Class of 1964 UNCG Guarantee Scholar, junior Cameron Warren, would certainly agree.

“The UNCG Guarantee is a breath of fresh air, a sense of security, and a weight lifted,” says Warren. “The scholarship I received emphasized the importance of giving back to the community that invested in us. With that in mind, I joined the Food Recovery Network, a volunteer organization that reduces food waste on campus by donating leftover cafeteria food to local non-profit organizations. About a year after joining, I became interested in the low waste/zero waste movement through the Plastic Free July initiative, a global initiative to reduce plastic waste in 30 days. Since then, I have been an advocate for sustainability. The UNCG Guarantee has helped me showcase my passions.”

The Class of 1964 looked back on their college days with gratitude to their alma mater. Through their gift, they ensure students like themselves can make a difference in the world.

Story by Michelle Danner-Groves, Donor Relations