Dr. Lawrence (Larry) Czarda ’74 was a first-generation college student when he arrived on the campus of Bridgewater College in the fall of 1970. The second-youngest of four children (and the only son) in a close Hungarian American family, it was expected that Czarda would follow his sisters to Rutgers University, the state university located just 20 minutes from where they lived in Bridgewater, N.J. But Czarda knew that he would be lost at a large university. With the support of his family, and perhaps finding some comfort in a familiar name, Czarda made the 325-mile journey from Bridgewater, N.J., to Bridgewater, Va.
Education was important in Czarda’s family, but as the first to move away for college, a lot of the experience was new to him. Czarda says he initially struggled academically but was able to find his way thanks to the support of caring faculty—including Dr. Mary Frances Heishman, Professor of Health and Human Sciences, Emerita, and his advisor, the late Lamar Neal, Associate Professor of Political Science and History, Emeritus—and the close environment where, as he recalls, he knew at least two-thirds of the students.
“I needed an environment where they accepted someone like me and helped me figure it out,” Czarda says, and, by his junior year, he was on the Dean’s List and thriving at BC.
Czarda originally thought he would like to be a veterinarian or, perhaps, a lawyer. Mostly he loved being able to explore a variety of interests and courses—from finance to law—that were available at Bridgewater. Eventually Czarda decided to major in history and political science and earned his teaching certification. He remembers doing his student teaching at Turner Ashby High School in Bridgewater, Va., with fellow BC student Marion (Bo) Trumbo ’74.
Rather than continuing in K-12 education, Czarda took a slightly different route. After Bridgewater, he went on to earn a master’s degree in public administration from American University in Washington, D.C., and a Ph.D. in public policy from George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. He worked in municipal government in Northern Virginia, then joined the staff at George Mason University, teaching and rising through the ranks to Vice President for Administration. In 2010, he was appointed the 18th President of Greensboro College, a small, private liberal arts college in Greensboro, N.C.
Czarda says that he was thrilled to be returning to a “Bridgewater-like environment” when he joined Greensboro College, a similarly tight-knit college community of just 1,000 students. His time at Greensboro has also reinforced to him how important BC was to the trajectory of his career and life.
“Bridgewater College changed the course of my life. It was a launching point to everything that came after,” he says. “One of the greatest values of a liberal arts education is that it allows you to pivot. It prepares you for lives and careers that don’t yet exist.”
He stayed in touch with Trumbo over the years, and about five years ago Czarda says he decided to reengage with the BC Alumni Association. He is now part of the team from the Class of ‘74 that has raised funds to name the new Digital Media Lab on the third floor of Bowman Hall. Their donation, and the contributions of other donors, will be recognized during the rededication of Bowman Hall on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, as part of the College’s Homecoming festivities.
Czarda encourages all alumni, whatever their age or stage of life, to consider making room for philanthropy in their lives.
“Our contributions make a difference. You can see it in what’s happening on campus. Unlike other places, you can know that you are making a real contribution at a small school like Bridgewater,” he says.
– Heather S. Cole
10/2/24
Photo courtesy of Greensboro College.
