This first issue of our Alumni News marks a milestone in the 22year history of the school We hope that you will join us in our efforts to build a strong and vibrant alumni community. We believe that by working together, we can achieve great things and offer a supportive network to our students, faculty, and graduates for decades to come. Please join us in person for our December Open House!
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS
As we make connections, we will share stories about our graduates’ unique journeys.
CONGRATULATIONS to very first ECG Student Council for creating a structure that would offer 22 years of success and support.
The “OG” STUCO members were:
David Boy (‘03)
Theresa Forshey (‘05)
Robin Alton (‘05)
Krista McCoy (‘05)
Joy Pinnix (‘05)
Bita Emrani (‘06)
Kevin Lynagh (‘06)
Tanisha Golla (‘24) was the STUCO Alumni Coordinator when we decided to revitalize the alumni community Tanisha never complained at our LONG meetings and wild ideas, and her inputs were essential to our launch. Tanisha is now studying at UNC Chapel Hill, and we look forward to welcoming her back as an alum!
Sarah Munro (‘07), a valued advocate in our Alumni Association startup efforts, is also connecting Guilford College students to the world!! Munro has recently been appointed to two renowned foreign relations and virtual exchange boards, equipping Guilford students with an even broader “toolkit” of global literacy opportunities.
Class of 2022 graduate Evelyn Chang is currently studying at Brown University as a member of the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME). Instead of a traditional premed major, Chang has decided to major in Literary Arts, Brown’s version of a creative writing major, as a way to further pursue her knack for writing. It is because of the flexibility of the PLME program that Chang decided Literary Arts was the right fit for her.
Outside of the classroom, Chang acts as a minority peer counselor and is active in a stationary and journaling club called Snail Mail. On the medical side of things,
Chang partook in a neurosurgery lab last academic year.
In an interview last year, Chang reflected on her past at ECG. She remarked that because at ECG, “ everyone wants to do well and succeed academically,” she was in a place to succeed at Brown. However, Chang is appreciative of the opportunity PLME has given her a more exploratory undergraduate route to pursue her interests while on a track to medical school.
We wish to extend gratitude to Nick Abele (‘22) for continuing to support the ECG Quiz Bowl Team. Abele also serves as a guest speaker to AP World History students, raising awareness of global experiential learning opportunities through the Leadership Initiatives organization.
Sending huge thanks to Morgan Klenke (‘15), for envisioning what our network could be and for managing our LinkedIn alumni group for so long!
ONCE A PHOENIX, ALWAYS A PHOENIX
Our community extends globally, across hobbies, industries,and phases of life.
Thus far, our volunteer team has tracked down ~500 graduates residing in 23 states and 4 countries. SO many of you have relocated for family caregiving, internships, educational advancements, study/work abroad opportunities, entrepreneurial endeavors, and other transitions. We are interested in keeping in touch with you, no matter where you go or how long you might stay
EXTEND A BRANCH
MASSACHUSETTS
Though we totally understand that there is life after ECG, your time as a Phoenix will always be some small part of who you are. Concentrations of our alumni reside in a handful of metropolitan areas, so we will be starting some “Branch Clubs” where fellow grads can connect Let us know if this appeals to you! More info coming in the Winter Newsletter.
SCAN TO DROP US A QUICK UPDATE.
BELGIUM
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
Dear ECG Alumni,
I hope this letter finds you well. It is with great excitement that we announce the formation of our Alumni Association, an association that we hope will encompass alumni, alumni parents, and past staff members. As principal, I am consistently impressed with the passion and dedication that exists in the ECG community and seek to take advantage of our collective strength.
Over the past two years, we have had a committed team at the school level working to build the bones of the Association and I am appreciative and impressed with their work and dedication. Now, I call on you to join us in this endeavor as we continue to build on the successes of the past as we look to the future.
Our goals are numerous; however, our foundation rests in the vibrant community that is ECG. We are comprised of people who share a common bond and commitment to our unique school.
First and foremost, we aim to provide opportunities for alumni to reconnect with one another and with our institution. By establishing events such as our Annual Alumni Open House, we can continue a legacy of lasting friendships that serve as ECG’s foundation.
Secondly, we aim to provide meaningful opportunities for our alumni to re-engage with us and with one another, through volunteerism and advocacy to continue the growth and advancement of our student body. Whether it is networking opportunities, educational programming, or participation in the ECG Speakers Series, we seek to continuously augment ECG by promoting a community that is inclusive, supporting and engaging collectively.
Finally, we aim to support the continued success of our current students through club activities and programs like the Capital Campaign, an initiative to completely renovate our two modular classroom buildings by August 2025. Renovation of the modular buildings is not included in any of the recent Guilford County School bond issues, and therefore, funds must be raised privately.
Our association is still in the early stages of pursuing a robust agenda, and I am confident that through our collective efforts the association will become a valuable resource and a source of pride for our current students, our graduates and their families. We need dedicated alum and their families to help us build a strong foundation. By becoming an active member, you will be able to continue to play a key role in shaping the future of ECG and our alumni community.
Thank you for allowing me to walk this path with you in our incredible and unique school community. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our initiatives, please do not hesitate to contact me directly via the office phone or email at kashubp@gcsnc.com.
Best regards,
Dr. Pete Z. Kashubara, II Principal, The Early College at Guilford
The Turkey Bowl, a “powderpuff” football game, will be held on November 26, with all proceeds from admission going to support Hurricane Helene victims.
Campus Life
We held a successful Operation Christmas Child fundraiser each of the past two years, packing over 200 boxes and writing over 200 cards (total) for children overseas in low-income countries and war-stricken areas.
Code Club
Conducted an international outreach fundraiser that raised 15 computers to promote equitable STEM education and international code camp
Environmental Club
We were able to host ECG's first ever Earth Day Fair and will be making it an annual event, coming again in April
Red Cross Club
Raised over $1,000 for a Measles Red Cross Charity from a football game (STEM vs ECG)
SHRC
Want to learn more?
Over the last two years, we have raised $1,464 72 in donations for the Guilford Green Foundation. .
This is just a small sample of ECG’s current clubs doing GREAT things. Message us if you’d like to learn more or get involved: the.ecg.alumni@gmail.com
MORE FROM THE CLUBS
A Capella Club
We won third at the NCASA A Cappella State Competition with only two years of experience and around 8-10 members. (Fun fact: We learned our choreography for three songs in two weeks.)
HOSA
Our biggest achievement in the past two years is that we have had eight competitors place as finalists in the International Leadership Conference (ILC) in Texas as well as around 13-14 competitors place at the State Leadership Conference (SLC) every year We have also had success with our corporate sponsorship campaign, reaching out to local healthcare practices for sponsorships and securing almost $4,000 to fund our competition costs
Mock Trial
The ECG Mock Trial Club achieved remarkable success in hosting its fourth annual Summer Camp, leaving a lasting impact on 35+ middle school students from across Guilford County Held from July 28th to August 2nd, 2024, the camp provided an insightful introduction to the legal world through engaging debates on mock cases facilitated by the NC Bar Association. Throughout the week-long program, students delved into the intricacies of becoming a lawyer and gained a glimpse into the life of legal professionals, like County Commissioner Frankie Jones who visited them. The ECG Mock Trial Club raised over $600 towards their competition fee to continue to work hard to make their way to states.
Quiz Bowl
Indicative of their dedicated practices, ECG Quiz bowl teams have won state finals and placed in the top 10 at nationals They also won the NCASA Twelve competition.
Rocketry
We sent 4 experiments to the “Cubes in Space” program, and this is now our second year in the American Rocketry Challenge. We have 2 teams competing this year. The competition involves teams building, testing, and flying model rockets with certain build constraints to meet a series of flight objectives including an intact payload of 2 eggs. Best times and altitudes win.
Science Olympiad
Placed regionals champion every year, placed 5th and 7th at states. All events individual placements top 10 at regionals for Varsity. JV team top 5 yearly.
Speech & Debate
In recent years, we have established a a mentorship program with middle school students from The Academy at Lincoln and Brown Summit Middle School. Through this program, our members guided students in Public Forum (PF) and Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debate practice tournaments, providing realtime scoring and detailed feedback to improve their skills. We also held workshops on structuring arguments, researching effectively, and flowing debates, fostering both critical thinking and confidence in our younger peers.
MEET THE STAFF
In each newsletter, we wll introduce an amazing ECG teacher, professor, or administrator
ANNE BEATTY
Ms Beatty has been at ECG since August of 2018 and has taught AP Language and Composition, Creative Writing, and Honors
English I She also sponsors the Publishing Club and Student-Human Relations Coalition (SHRC).
ECG’S “HOOK”
Ms. Beatty was drawn to and has remained at ECG due to:
The sense of collaboration
Working with students who are so highly motivated and intellectually curious
The small school and usually small class sizes
The closeness of our community
Ms. Beatty’s favorite ECG event is our annual Gingerbread Building Competition
Bringing her family and getting to watch the students compete, especially now that her oldest child is here, has been very enjoyable.
“Education is about a lot more than grades and test scores. If you view your education as transactional then there are going to be limits to what you can get out of it ”
--Ms Anne Beatty, 2024
What makes ECG different from other schools you've taught at or interacted with?
“Everything. It's such a unique school. For the students who want to be here and want this experience of a lot of autonomy and a lot of responsibility, I think it's really empowering. And it's great to work with these really highly motivated, very bright students who aren't being held back from doing as much as they want while they're in high school It proves that teenagers can handle a lot of autonomy. “
What has been your proudest moment as a teacher?
“I love hearing from students, you know, months or years later. I love seeing the upperclassmen when they visit and then staying in touch with students even when they're in college and beyond. Having a sense of all that they've done since they left my classroom, I think, is probably what makes me the proudest.“
(Hint: beattya@gcsnc.com)
MEET THE STAFF
MS. BEATTY
(continued)
When asked about the most significant change she has observed in her time at ECG, Ms. Beatty pointed out the the increased number of applicants. This increase corresponds to both the school’s reputation in the greater community and to the changes in application process Guilford County Schools centralized admissions screening in Spring 2019, offering a “common” application format across all magnet schools, with specific requirements like class prerequisites, test scores, impromptu essays or group interviews specific to each school’s selection. Prospective students are therefore able to enter multiple magnet programs’ round one evaluation pool with minimal extra effort. Further, last year’s US News #1 Public High School ranking further stimulated interest in ECG, yielding 700 applicants for 52 rising freshman spots. This year’s Choice School application window was moved to autumn, so “Tuesday Tours”, open houses, and deadlines coincided with the composition of this newsletter.
What is one lesson you hope students will take away from this experience, whether that's your classroom or ECG in general?
“I think it's that education is about a lot more than test scores There are students who come through the school and get a great education, and they might not have the best grades or the best test scores There are other people who are very great and test scorefocused but maybe sacrifice parts of their education to get those. And so, if you view your education as transactional, there are going to be limits to what you can get out of it. I want students to know that education is about becoming the person that they want to be and figuring out how to acquire the skills they need to become that person. It’s different for everybody, but it's often more about experiences than products.”
REMEMBER THIS GUY?
Yes, that’s Coach Chamra! Yes, he still empowers all freshmen to become sport phenoms and makes PE a favorite class amongst ECG students. Drop Coach a quick ‘hello’ - you know he’d also love hearing from you. (Email zchamra@guilford.edu)
Take a walk down “memory lane” with a look back at where your high school journey began
MAKING IT HAPPEN...
Over the past two years, we have made considerable renovations to our trailers
Phase 1, completed summer 2023, included: Roof replacement (one building) and roof repair (one building) due to water leaks, full replacement of outside siding and skirting of the two buildings due to water damage, full replacement of wood ramp decks, exterior painting, and electrical fittings
Phase 2, completed summer 2024, included: Replacement of classroom lighting with LED fixtures, replacement of bathroom fixtures, partitions, painting, addition of electrical outlets in classrooms (4 boxes of 4 outlets per room), installation of new high/low bottle filling station water fountains, and finishing work for all decks
What is next?
Phase 3, once is funding available, will include: Repair water damaged ceilings and walls, paint interior, replacement of worn and damaged original carpeting .
WANT TO HELP?
ECG’s Capital Campaign is a private initiative to update and sustain an enriching learning environment. Scan the QR code to contribute.
R.I.P. “LAKE ECG”
One sacrifice of the ramp rebuild was “Lake ECG”, the unpredictably deep puddle that appeared between the trailers, demarcating any precipitation accumulation. Future alumni will never realize the pants-soaking proficiency of her cold, muddy waters Though she will not missed, her presence will never be forgotten.
Thank you to the following alumni families for recent donations toward ECG’s capital improvements Hundreds of ambitious students are benefitting from your contributions every day!
Tangedal Family (‘17)
Aiden Mueller (‘06)
Darby Keller (‘07)
Loftin Family (‘ 08 and ’12)
Catherine Pan (‘10)
Elizabeth Dzugan (’10)
Huff Family (‘10 and ‘13)
Hou Family (‘11)
Sotos Pagiavlas (‘11)
Thomas Family (’12)
Hanna Kausche (‘13)
Caskie Family (‘14)
Egan Family (’15)
Janie Ekere (’16)
Richard Miller (‘16)
Gupta Family (‘17 and ‘21)
Southwick Family (‘19)
Connor Thonen-Fleck (‘20)
Kobrin Family (‘20)
Ethan Santana (‘20)
Julian Maycock (‘21)
Bui Family (‘20 and ‘22)
Hope Stephens (’22)
Kevin Lee (‘23)
Oza Family (‘23)
Patel Family (‘23 and ‘26)
Auld Family (‘23)
Pokala Family (‘23)
Luther Family (‘24)
SUPPORTER SHOUT-OUTS SUPPORTER SHOUT-OUTS
Friends and supporters bringing our vision to life
We’d like to acknowledge Anu Ramgoolam (parent of ’22 grad and ’27 future alum), whose infectious, indefatigable passion for the ECG community is helping to create a long-term support network for ECG families and ultimately make the school a stronger place Anu’s cheery disposition energizes every planning meeting and has made our Annual Alumni Open House a reality. When you see her, please take a moment to greet Anu and thank her for her efforts!
Preparing for the January Open House, (L-R) parent volunteer Jill Rudolph, principal Dr Pete Kashubara, recent graduate Tanisha Golla, and parent Anu Ramgoolam.
Thank you to the entire Kashubara Family for sharing your husband and father with ECG Alumni & Friends. Dr. Kashubara not only serves as ECG’s principal but also a huge advocate for our students, long after graduation. Please know that he beams with pride when mentioning his family and that we appreciate your sacrifice during those mid-playoff-game cell phone calls or missed-dinner evening meetings.
We wish to extend gratitude to Carmen Liebkemann , parent of a 2022 grad, for starting and protecting the ECG Alumni Facebook page. Thank you for offering us a place to connect!
Shout out to Kathy Cooper for reconnecting us with several graduates. After MANY years of teaching ECG students, Mrs. Cooper had the opportunity to relocate to coastal NC in 2022. Despite the distance, she remains one of ECG’s biggest champions!
Our “Launch Team” for is a group of ambitious ECG seniors who are carving out time every week between classes, extracurriculars, jobs, and college/scholarship essay-writing to create a foundation of tools and sustainable practices, easing the efforts for officers for years to come.
Camille Helms, Co-Coordinator STUCO Alumni Committee & Host of “Phoenix Forum” Series
Huishu “Karen” Zhang, Recruiter and Member Data Scientist
Mahgoub Elmardi, Newsletter Editor
Eva Doyle, Alumni Spotlight Correspondent
Ayaam Ghimire, Technical Consultant
ECG Alumni & Friends Newsletter
Inaugural Issue - Autumn 2024
CALL TO ACTION CALL TO ACTION
Below are some ways you can “plug in” to the ECG Alumni & Friends Community
WHY AN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION? WHY AN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION?
While you’re out there, making the world better place, and someone asks you about your high school experience. They struggle to grasp that you completed all your required credits in two years, and you give up on differentiating between early college and dual enrollment. They ask you about your classmates.
Meredith Jones (‘10) wrote in the Jan 30, 2009 issue of The Guilfordian addressed that diversity in her article as well: “We run the gamut of intelligence; in my time at Early College I’ve seen as many different definitions of ‘smart’ as there are students. Back-row slackers display casual brilliance, physics naturals flunk their history assignments, and several of the ordinary stalwarts earn straight A’s through sheer dedication rather than academic flair ”
That diversity of backgrounds, interests, and learning styles remains a constant in our community Though early colleges are more common than they were at ECG’s inception, the curriculum and social structure are still hard for outsiders to grasp. “The ECG experience alters drastically over four years,” Jones went on to say, “Attempting to explain this is similar to trying to describe Mozart to the deaf.”
We’d like to offer a place where others can relate to those influential four years of your life, sharing that which helped you thrive and lessons you’d like to not repeat. As of this newsletter, we are getting ready to launch the 1000th ECG graduate out into the world. Somewhere in this community, we know you can find “your people”.
Is there a subject that you’d like to see in the newsletter? Do you have news to share with the ECG community?
Scan the QR code below or email us at the.ecg.alumni@gmail.com
Awesome! We need people like you! We are a volunteer team and would like to keep the newsletter going, but with content coming from a variety of sources, we need your keen attention to detail to help make sure it is going together Email us with your feedback: the.ecg.alumni@gmail.com
ALWAYS ROOM FOR MORE
Below are some ways you can “plug in” to the ECG Alumni & Friends Community
HELP WANTED IN THE CLUBS
ECG’s clubs are continually trying new things and therefore continually seeking subject matter experts Current needs are listed below Might you be interested in getting involved?
Judges and mentors for Speech & Debate
Out of ECG Competition Team
FBLA Sponsor
DACS Sponsor
Mock Trial Sponsor
Biology Olympiad Sponsor
Rocketry Club Mentor
Music Club Mentor
Dance Club Mentor
THE PHOENIX FORUM THE PHOENIX FORUM
This winter, we’ll be launching the “Phoenix Forum”, where scheduled topics are addressed by a panels of alumni subject matter experts Our moderator will collect and share students’ and peers’ questions. If you’d like to be a panelist or offer wisdom you wish you’d had earlier, let us know!
Connect with Us on Social Media:
EXTENDING THE REACH EXTENDING THE REACH
We are starting “Branch” clubs in various metro areas to share a common bond and welcome relocating alumni. Branch clubs can meet in person or virtually. Interested? Let us know where you are located by completing the form at the QR code below
Also, we are still seeking Branch Coordinators in the following locations:
Atlanta
Chicagoland
DC Metro
NY Metro
SoCal
December 19th, 2-5PM at the Carnegie Room (Hege Library). Please RSVP soon so that we can prep supplies. Didn’t receive your invitation? Make sure your contact info is up-to-date by scanning here:
