Bengal Impact
Real stories from the community — where a GDS education takes you.
From GDS Robotics Club to Leading Product at Microsoft
Sarah Mitchell · Class of '98
My journey from building robots in the GDS lab to leading product strategy at one of the world's largest tech companies.
Fifty Years a Bengal: The 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award
Gail Isaacson Bernstein · Class of '1976
Gail Bernstein '76, one of GDS's earliest graduates, received the school's highest alumni honor for a lifetime of service to Greensboro.
From the GDS Court to Head Coach at NC State
Justin Gainey · Class of '1996
A standout Bengal point guard, Justin Gainey '96 was named Men's Basketball Head Coach at NC State in April 2026.
From GDS Robotics Club to Open Source at Scale
Marcus Reid · Class of '11
The first robot I ever built was in the GDS makerspace. Fifteen years later I ship software used by millions.
Building a $12M Startup on Lessons from Public Purpose
Priya Patel · Class of '13
My senior Public Purpose project was about food waste. It became the seed of the company I run today.
Arguing My First Case Where I Learned to Argue
Elena Vasquez · Class of '08
Mock trial at GDS taught me to think on my feet. Now I coach the same team as a Brooks Pierce partner.
A GDS Public Purpose Project That Became a Career
Elena Rodriguez · Class of '12
My senior public purpose project turned into a full-time mission. Now I run a social impact studio in Greensboro.