How our signature approach to mentorship advances your greatest ambitions Plus: Your Rollins Bucket List • Solving the World’s Biggest Problems + More
Welcome to Rollins
Your personalized pathway to purpose is waiting. Think of this magazine as the first step to discovering what that means for you at Rollins, where you’ll craft a one-of-a-kind college experience and seize infinite opportunities to put your education to work in the world. In this issue, you’ll make important connections between our unique mentorship model and your unique journey, one that prepares you to pinpoint what you love and pursue it with all your might. You’ll also get a glimpse of how we’re tackling the world’s biggest challenges like climate change and inequality and meet a handful of your future classmates as they share their favorite parts of #RollinsLife. As you come to the end of the issue, I hope you’ll be inspired to take the next step on your pathway to purpose: joining us here at Rollins to make the world brighter, smarter, and more open to possibility. Fiat Lux, Zaire McCoy Dean of Admission Rollins College
In this issue 10 Pathway to Purpose Learn how Rollins connects you with the mentors whose counsel, insight, and guidance help unlock your unique potential.
16 Solving the World’s Biggest Problems
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Discover how we’re tackling what the United Nations has laid out as the paramount challenges of our time.
22 Endless Eats Join Francisco Wang Yu ’22 and Pryslla Oliveira ’23 as they show you what’s on the menu at Rollins (spoiler alert: it’s not those styrofoam cups of noodles from your parents’ college days).
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4 More Than a Major 6 Which Club Sport Should I Try at Rollins? 8 #RollinsLife: Your Rollins Bucket List 14 Taking Stock of Success 20 Honor Among Scholars
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24 Top 10 Reasons Rollins is a Top 10 for Best Value 26 Rollins at a Glance 27 By the Numbers
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Beauty and Brains If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then anyone who gazes upon our 80 acres of lakeside perfection will tell you that Rollins is unlike any college campus you’ve seen. In fact, they have. Everyone from The Princeton Review to Condé Nast Traveler has dubbed Rollins one of the nation’s most beautiful college campuses. But look closer and you’ll discover a rich history spanning more than 135 years and a bright future that’s reaching well into the 21st century. It’s all thanks to our interdisciplinary curriculum and personalized learning environments that offer you the chance to explore your passions and find your purpose. What will you discover within and outside these walls? Take a closer look and then schedule a campus visit to experience it for yourself: rollins.edu/visit
1 MIDDLE OF THE ACTION Rollins is located just minutes from downtown Orlando, which was recently ranked by WalletHub as the No. 4 city for college students in the country and the No. 2 best city to start a career. More than 150 international companies representing 20 countries do business in The City Beautiful. And when it’s time to unwind, Orlando is abuzz with entertainment—from Broadway shows to Orlando City soccer games. Opportunities? Yeah, they abound. rollins.college/orlando
2 TEEMING WITH WONDER Lake Virginia offers unparalleled opportunities for both recreation and education. Start your day with a paddleboarding session to awaken your mind to the possibilities of the afternoon: holding a baby turtle in its natural habitat during biology class while learning about the diverse species of marine life that call Lake Virginia home. rollins.college/recreation
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3 THE HEADQUARTERS OF EXPERIENCE In the new state-of-the-art Kathleen W. Rollins Hall, we’re connecting students with the experiential and relational learning opportunities necessary to gain a competitive advantage in the real world. From exploring internships to brainstorming ideas at the Social Impact Hub, this is your one-stop shop for life-changing and careerdefining experiences. rollins.college/rollins-hall
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4 MEET ME ON THE AVENUE Park Avenue, Winter Park’s chic downtown drag, is basically an extension of campus. In addition to top-tier shopping and dining, our hometown’s charming amenities include renowned museums, a weekend farmers market, and tons of greenspace where you can soak in the Florida sunshine year-round. rollins.college/winter-park
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE MUSIC Physics professor Thom Moore and his students don’t just listen to music—they’ve devised a way to see soundwaves using high-tech lasers and a camera that captures 200,000 frames per second. Situated in an anechoic chamber inside Bush Science Center, this technology allows students to conduct real, impactful research in an environment that rivals any professional lab. rollins.college/colleagues
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7 6 STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN The College’s historic Annie Russell Theatre sets the stage for many student performers to hone their star power at Rollins. Just ask theatre and international business double major Isabella Ward ’15, who recently made her big-screen debut as Tere in Steven Spielberg’s revival of the classic West Side Story. rollins.college/silver-screen
IN COMMUNITY The term “neighborhood” isn’t just a catchy moniker. It’s a true way of life in Rollins’ new living learning community, Lakeside Neighborhood. Whether you’re studying for finals by the pool, taking a group fitness class in the Movement Studio, or working on a group project in one of the many workspaces designed for collaboration, Lakeside is all about improving health and building community. rollins.college/lakeside
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8 ART IMITATING LIFE Many of our classrooms are designed to mirror working environments. Take art professor Rachel Simmons ’97’s printmaking studio. This unique maker space is jampacked with both analog and digital printmaking equipment that’s not just for art students. After a crash course in letterpress technique, economics and physics majors design and print posters to support local nonprofits. rollins.college/craft-commune
MUCH MORE THAN A MAJOR The value you get from a Rollins education goes far beyond the expertise you develop in your major. When you look ahead to your college education, your major is likely the first thing that comes to mind. That makes some sense. After all, your major is a critical piece of your education—it’s where you’ll develop deep expertise in a specific discipline. But it’s also just one piece of a much bigger, far richer educational experience, and those other pieces are just as important to preparing for a purpose-driven life and productive career.
A Future-Proof Foundation
Gen eds are often thought of as classes to get out of the way before diving into your major. Not at Rollins. Our interdisciplinary core curriculum—Rollins Foundations in the Liberal Arts (RFLA)— equips you with broad-based knowledge and 21st-century skills like critical thinking and clear communication. These timeless tools aren’t just ideal preparation for your major, grad school, and your first job—they’re also a foundation for lifelong leadership and essential to thriving in a rapidly changing marketplace.
Liberal Arts in Action
You’ll put your newfound know-how to work in the world through an array of hands-on experiences that range from internships and study abroad to community engagement and collaborative research with faculty. You’ll not only develop your passions through these immersive opportunities, but you’ll also gain the kind of practical, real-world experience that employers and grad schools demand.
Living Learning Community
At Rollins, your education isn’t confined to a classroom, lab, or studio. In fact, every corner of America’s most beautiful campus is engineered to deepen and enrich your holistic education. Whether you’re in your res hall or the main dining hall, you’ll live with and learn from classmates from all around the country and across the globe. And you’ll learn to work together to solve problems as small as where you want to go for lunch and as large as sourcing clean energy.
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60+ paths to a transformative education UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS American Studies*
UNDERGRADUATE MINORS ONLY
Anthropology*
African & African American Studies
Art (Studio)*
Archaeology
Art History*
Australian Studies
Asian Studies*
Cultural Anthropology
Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
Dance
Biology*
Data Analytics
Business (International)*
Ethics
Business (Management)*
Film Studies
Business (Social Entrepreneurship)*
German
Chemistry*
Global Health
Classical Studies*
Jewish Studies
Communication Studies*
Middle Eastern and North African Studies
Computer Science*
Neuroscience
Critical Media and Cultural Studies*
Secondary Education
Economics*
Sexuality, Women’s, and Gender Studies
Elementary Education*
Sustainable Development and the Environment
English* Environmental Studies* History* International Relations* Latin American and Caribbean Studies* Marine Biology* Mathematics* Music* Philosophy* Physics* Political Science* Pre-Engineering Psychology* Public Policy and Political Economy Religious Studies* Social Innovation Sociology* Spanish* Theatre Arts* * Also offered as a minor
ACCELERATED PATHWAYS
Rollins offers multiple opportunities to earn combined master’s degrees in everything from business to education through a selection of programs designed to enhance and expedite your personalized pathway to success.
BOUND FOR BUSINESS
Writing
Through Rollins’ 3/2 Accelerated Management Program, students can earn a bachelor’s degree and the No. 1 MBA in Florida from the Crummer Graduate School of Business in just five years.
PRE-PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS
ENGINEERING YOUR FUTURE
3/2 Accelerated Management Program Pre-Engineering Pre-Law Pre-Health Allied Health Dentistry Medicine Optometry Podiatry Veterinary Medicine
Learn more about our majors, including popular courses, potential career paths, and the expert faculty who will guide you on your journey. rollins.college/majors
Students have the opportunity to combine a three-year program in the liberal arts with two years of professional academic work in engineering at one of two prestigious institutions: Washington University or Case Western Reserve.
MASTERING YOUR PASSION
In a new program offered through Rollins’ Hamilton Holt School, students in their senior year have the opportunity to take graduate-level courses that will simultaneously fulfill degree requirements for a master’s degree in applied behavior analysis, education, human resources, liberal studies, or public health. ROLLINS | 05
By J. Charlotte Jarrett ’08 | Photos by Scott Cook
I’d rather connect to nature
Our students don’t just work hard—they play hard too. And you don’t have to be a varsity-level athlete to be part of a team and recharge with some hard-earned recreation. Getting involved in a little friendly competition through our array of club sports, fitness classes, and intramural offerings (beach volleyball, anyone?) is all part of living and learning on America’s most beautiful campus. Take this quiz to find out which club sport is right for you.
High-tech or low-tech?
Centered and focused
I’m solar-powered. Vitamin D, please!
Fast-paced and high energy
what charges you up?
It’s game time.
what’s the vibe?
Feet in the grass or toes in the sand?
Music is life—just give me a beat
dance
Share your passion for movement and music through the Rollins Dance Team, a club sport open to all ability levels and dance genres. Learn new moves as the team practices in the dance studio at the Alfond Sports Center and perform on stage during the annual dance concert at the storied Annie Russell Theatre.
soccer
As a member of club soccer, you can dig your cleats into the immaculate grounds of the CahallSandspur Field and take full advantage of yearround sunny weather, which means near endless chances to score goals.
volleyball
Practice your serve on our very own beach volleyball court right on campus. In addition to a women’s varsity team, volleyball is also offered as an intramural sport with women’s and men’s club teams. Compete on the courts or join a casual pickup game under the sun.
Give me all the frames per second
Are you an Ɨnimal lover?
Does self-love count?
All my best friends have four legs Near the surf
esports
On the turf
Press play on one of our fastestgrowing intramural sports: the Rollins Esports Club, part of the National Association of Collegiate Esports. Housed in a dedicated facility in the Alfond Sports Center, 15 computers featuring top-of-the-line processors and graphics cards await your dive into the world of LAN-style gaming.
equestrian
It’s time to saddle up. Practicing just a few miles from campus at the Oakmore Equestrian Center, the Rollins Equestrian Club is primely positioned to compete through the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, with shows throughout the year in the FloridaGeorgia region.
yoga
Turning inward is not selfish; it’s essential. Balance your body and mind as you perfect your shoulderstand pose at the Alfond Sports Center, the Movement Studio in Lakeside Neighborhood, or outdoors on the lawn and along the glistening shores of Lake Virginia. Namaste.
#ROLLINSLIFE
Your Rollins Bucket List Wakeboarding on Lake Virginia. Studying abroad. Trying a new sport. No matter what you’re most anticipating about your college experience, Rollins gives you the freedom to explore and the opportunity to take action. Check out this collection of our students’ must-do Rollins experiences and start envisioning your #RollinsLife. Check out rollinslife.com for more unfiltered sights from the Rollins experience. 08 | ROLLINS
But wait, there's more!
Tag along with Curtis Shaffer ’22 as he asks Tars all across America’s most beautiful campus about what experiences have made it onto their Rollins bucket list.
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By Laura J. Cole ’04 ’08MLS | Photos by Scott Cook
In the game of life, your college experience is perhaps the most transformative move as you start discovering what drives you. At Rollins, we know that expert guides are the key to successfully navigating your life’s greatest journey. We surround you with an entire community of mentors whose counsel, knowledge, and connections accelerate your pathway to purpose.
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Partner with a professor
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Study abroad
Land an internship
How to Play connect with a
as you dive into ou r innovative, interdis ciplinary core curriculum, which is designed to he lp you develop the broa dbased knowledge and 21st-century skills like critical thinking an d communication ne cessary to succeed in life and work.
from prestigious internships and study abroad programs to community engagement and collaborative research with faculty. At Rollins there are myriad opportunities to put what you’re learning to work in the world, and there’s no better way to learn than by doing.
Develop 21st-century skills
of mentors, which includes everyone from faculty advisors and alumni mentors to peer guides and staff experts. These relationships are the key to deciphering the game and successfully forging your pathway to purpose.
choose your own
seek out real-world
How to Win
Live a purpose-driven life and forge a productive career by immersing yourself in Rollins Gateway, our signature approach to liberal arts education. Here you’ll discover your passion and how to pursue it with all your might.
Recent Winners SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR Name Madhavi Mooljee ’21 Major Communication Minor Social Entrepreneurship Purpose-Driven OutcomeFellow, Venture for America
Having grown up in Zimbabwe, Madhavi Mooljee ’21 started at Rollins not knowing what career she wanted to pursue. She simply knew that she wanted to make the most of her college experience. She credits that mindset combined with passionate mentors for setting the tone for her time at Rollins—and helping her find her way. “I come from a family of entrepreneurs, so I originally figured I’d major in business management,” she says. Mooljee soon learned that though the major was broad enough to help her pursue any career she wanted, her heart just wasn’t in it. A slew of mentors—including alum Aislinn Betancourt ’12, whom she was paired with through Rollins’ Career Champions mentorship program—were instrumental in her development. But two professors she met in her first year would ultimately help Mooljee solidify her purpose.
Connect with alumni
Follow along with three recent graduates who credit the mentorship and opportunities they received at Rollins for helping them make the right moves on their pathway to purpose.
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The first was communication professor Greg Cavenaugh who taught an Intro to Communication course that helped Mooljee better understand and appreciate her reflective nature. The other was social entrepreneurship professor Josie BalzacArroyo, who recognized how passionate Mooljee was about social impact work during her Rollins College Conference (RCC) course, Be the Change. Cavenaugh and Balzac-Arroyo encouraged Mooljee to change her academic focus because they saw the call to service churning inside her. “Service has always been a big part of my life, but I didn’t know that it could be a whole career,” she says. “Their advice to combine communication with social entrepreneurship
Meet your mentors
ANALYTICAL DIPLOMAT Name Raul Tavarez Ramirez ’21 Major International Relations
Minors Economics and Middle Eastern & North African Studies Purpose-Driven OutcomeTrade Trainee, European Union Delegation, Dominican Republic
Raul Tavarez Ramirez ’21 chose Rollins because of the interdisciplinary nature of its international relations program, study abroad opportunities in the Middle East, and liberal arts approach to learning. He knew he would have to make the most of all three to prepare him for a career in international relations.
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was the perfect match for me, even if it’s not a very common or traditional major combination.” Blending a life of service with her career would prove to be exactly what Mooljee was meant to do. After partnering with IDignity while at Rollins, she is currently working as an accounting assistant at the nonprofit, which helps underserved residents obtain proof of identity. And this fall, she’ll begin her two-year fellowship with Venture for America, which will hone her entrepreneurial focus by partnering with one of the country’s top startups. “I don’t believe that I would be in the same position I’m in now if I went to a different college,” she says. “Everything I did at Rollins has brought me to this Venture for America opportunity, and I know it’s the perfect fit.”
Conduct research
What he didn’t yet understand at the time was how the opportunities he took along the way and the relationships he developed would help him refine his purpose. Among the most influential was an internship he completed with NAMA Strategic Intelligence Solutions as part of the School of International Training’s study abroad program in Jordan. That experience allowed him to clearly ascertain the connection between international affairs and the private sector—and reignited his childhood love of science. “That was a critical point for me—realizing what direction I could take with my career,” he says. “I realized I didn’t have to be limited just to government jobs. I could go into consulting, still keep an international focus on my career, and get involved in science.” He began taking science classes on top of his regular course load and engaged in pivotal conversations with a range of mentors across campus. International relations professor Mike Gunter provided him a clear view of the reality of a career in international relations and how long it would take to advance to the
top. English professor Jana Mathews set more realistic expectations about how long it takes to land your dream job. Biology professors Brendaliz Santiago-Narvaez and Jay Pieczynski helped him figure out how to incorporate science without changing majors. “I realized I needed to find a hybrid between the two disciplines if I was ever going to be satisfied in my career,” he says. “Having all these mentors allowed me to see what was possible—the different directions I could go and the steps I needed to take to get there.”
Today, Tavarez Ramirez is coordinating trade efforts between the Dominican Republic and the European Union, making sure free trade agreements are met, educating DR import and export businesses on the benefits of the trade agreements, and supporting financial initiatives funded by the EU. He describes it as the perfect match of quantitative skills and international relations, a combination he wouldn’t have discovered without the freedom to explore and the close-knit relationships he was able to harness at Rollins.
ART CONSERVATOR Name Isaac Gorres ’21 Majors Art History and Biochemistry/Molecular Biology Purpose-Driven OutcomeEnvironmental Microbiology MS Candidate, Radboud University, Netherlands
Isaac Gorres ’21 still recalls the skeptical looks he got during his high school graduation ceremony as he told people he planned to double major in biology and art history in college. Unlike his peers, Rollins professors nourished his dual loves of science and art, helping pave his unique path. As part of that journey, Gorres is currently pursuing a master’s degree in environmental microbiology at Radboud University in the Netherlands, and he cites two projects through the Student-Faculty Collaborative Scholarship Program for giving him a leg up on his current classmates in both his writing ability and interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving.
Engage in your community
Apply your experience
For the first project, he partnered with art history professor Susan Libby to explore new and emerging methodologies for conserving modern artwork. “Contemporary art objects can present a lot of challenges for art conservators because they can be very diverse in their material origin,” he says. “How do you even begin to approach an art object made from a mylar balloon, for example? Dr. Libby was so incredible to work with, and it was really cool to get to go to the Venice Biennale as part of that experience and see some of the artworks in person that I was writing about.” Next he worked with biology professor Brendaliz Santiago-Narvaez to identify which specific pigments were used to create the different red paints in The Crucifixion with St. John, the Virgin Mary, and Mary Magdalene, an Old Master painting attributed to Marcellus Coffermans, a 16th-century Flemish Renaissance artist. Gorres developed the concept proposal, which helped earn him a Goldwater Scholarship—the most prestigious undergraduate science award in the nation. “The project allowed me to fuse together the two best parts of my education,” he says. “It’s also a huge part of why I’m in the Netherlands. I wrote about it as part of my application to Radboud and got a full scholarship. I’m so thankful to my Rollins professors for being so open and flexible to making my undergraduate experience as full and purposeful as it could be.”
Connect with the Community
Your Next Move
Learn more about how our expert guides will help you find your purpose: rollins.college/mentors.
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By Stephanie Rizzo ’09 | Photo by Scott Cook
Taking Stock of Success A prestigious internship at Citi in New York City has already launched Abdiel Martinez ’21 into his dream career. When international business major Abdiel Martinez ’22 enrolled in a course taught by business professor Richard Lewin, he wasn’t looking for a mentor—he was looking for a challenge. He found both. “I wanted to take Dr. Lewin’s International Financial Management class because I heard it was one of the toughest courses offered in my major,” says Martinez. “I had a lot of questions that went beyond the class, so I started regularly showing up to his office hours. Dr. Lewin always says that his mission is to make his students ‘dangerously employable.’ When I landed an interview at Citi for a summer internship, I knew I wanted him to help me prepare, and that culminated in a real and ongoing mentorship.”
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Martinez landed the coveted internship, thanks in part to Lewin’s guidance, and spent 10 weeks last summer at Citi’s global headquarters in the Big Apple. In his role as a sales and trading analyst, Martinez rotated between trading desks, researching market trends and gathering information to pitch to senior sales personnel. Martinez thrived in the fast-paced, competitive environment. “The opportunity to pitch gives you an opportunity to differentiate yourself, and it’s also a good way to quickly learn what types of events move the markets,” he says. Martinez also indulged his passion for cryptocurrency by designing a presentation that caught the attention of one of the firm’s managing directors, and later, the head of Citi North America. He left that internship with an offer to return to Citi’s Global Markets division fulltime after graduation, all before he started his final year of college.
A Network of Support “One of the things that struck me when I first set foot on campus was the spirit of community. I toured a lot of other schools, but walking around Rollins, you could just see the level of engagement. Within the first week, I attended a career fair and talked to my eventual mentor about the differences between the international business and economics programs. That helped me determine my path.”
Access to Expertise
“As part of Rollins’ Career Champions program, I was paired with Brandon Burns ’07 ’09MBA, a portfolio manager at City National Rochdale. He has a ton of experience in the field I want to work in, and having access to him is a
phenomenal resource. Knowing I can text him with questions or for advice has been a total game changer.”
Building Relationships
“One of the things I learned at Rollins is that people are happy to help if you just ask. During my internship at Citi, I took part in a virtual crypto series with over 700 other interns from all over the world. The chief operating officer for North America was leading the call, and I asked a question during his presentation. Later, I sent him a follow-up email thanking him for answering my question, and just that personal touch was enough to land me a one-on-one chat with him.”
Charting Your Own Course
“After my internship, I decided I wanted to get certified through the Chartered Market Technicians Association. I developed an independent study course with Dr. Lewin focused on preparing for that exam, which will help me stand out after graduation even more. The fact that I have the freedom and support to help me prepare for this specific goal, and that I get course credit for it, is just another reason why I’m glad I chose Rollins.”
Liberal Arts in Action
At Rollins, we have a whole office dedicated to preparing you for the world of work. From prestigious internships to real-world experience right on campus, the Center for Career & Life Planning helps set you up for immediate success and long-term leadership. Learn more at rollins.college/career. ROLLINS | 15
SOLVING THE WORLD’S BIGGEST PROBLEMS
For Rollins students, alumni, and faculty, the most pressing issues of our time are not insurmountable. They’re opportunities to bring meaning to the term “global citizenship.” By Robert Stephens | Photos by Scott Cook The stories of Emily Curran ’22, Bradley Russell ’22, Isabel Adamus ’22, and Julia Dartmann ’20 start at the same spot. Standing at the center of Mills Lawn on a campus visit as wide-eyed high schoolers just like you. Looking out at glistening Lake Virginia. Feeling the cool shade of sprawling oak trees, wondering, “Where can I follow my dreams” and “what can I do to make a difference?” Every new student knows the questions. At Rollins, in the same welcoming environment where Fred Rogers ’51 ’74H started discovering his direction, they too discover answers during walks with professors to Bush Cafe and while planning weekend service projects with Habitat for Humanity. It’s one thing to want to make the world better. At Rollins, students are given the opportunities, the guidance, and the expertise to actually do it. From coursework to fieldwork, research to institutional partnerships, the elements of a Rollins education are preparing our students to tackle the world’s toughest challenges, which have been laid out globally by the United Nations through 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Here’s how we’re stacking up so far. 16 | ROLLINS
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No Poverty During her first year at Rollins, Madhavi Mooljee ’21 glimpsed the power of service. The Bonner Leaders Program matched Mooljee with IDignity, which secures identification so impoverished people can find jobs and attend school. “Listening to their stories made them feel important,” says Mooljee, “and changed my life.”
Spanish Flu pandemic on socioeconomic classes to the COVID pandemic. Adamus says the project is inspiring the way she applies her degree in biochemistry/molecular biology to improve health for everyone.
While working alongside sociology professor Amy Armenia in the Student-Faculty Collaborative Scholarship Program, Emily Curran ’22 discovered an interest in improving food assistance programs. Their findings about food deserts were published, and Curran is now director of the campus food pantry.
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Clean Water & Sanitation
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Quality Education
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Zero Hunger
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Since 2012, Rollins students have worked alongside teachers and families in Rwanda to help ensure that more children are prepared to pursue higher education. Scott Hewit, associate professor of education, says the experience moves Rollins students to “appreciate the comforts they enjoy and dedicate their lives to helping others.”
Good Health & Well-Being
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For her U.N. Millennium Fellowship project, Isabel Adamus ’22 drew similarities from impacts of the 1918
The Sexuality, Women’s, and Gender studies (SWAG) minor at Rollins ties subjects like English, art, philosophy, and history to gender experiences. The Lucy Cross Center for Women, Gender, & Sexuality provides space for meaningful discussions and, as students become adept at recognizing gender-based oppression, to take action.
Gender Equality
For more than 25 years, chemistry professor Pedro Bernal has led field studies to villages across the Dominican Republic where students install water filtration systems. At least 20,000 people no longer have to drink contaminated water from rivers. “What we did during my trip can’t be experienced in a classroom,” says Caroline Rosendahl ’19 ’21MBA.
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Affordable & Clean Energy Rollins is one of approximately 40 colleges to participate in the National Academy of Engineering’s prestigious Grand Challenges Scholars Program. Through his research, physics major Bradley Russell ’22 found nuclear power to be “the best solution” to cleaner, cheaper energy around the world. “I wouldn’t have been able to dive this deeply into the issue at a school other than Rollins.” ROLLINS | 17
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Decent Work & Economic Growth
saves 70 percent on energy use. And up on the roof is a state-of-the-art greenhouse— home to 800 global plant species and research labs for students to study the next scientific breakthroughs.
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Reduced Inequalities
Women in underdeveloped areas of the world come to Rollins via the Global Links Initiative and return home to share newfound business skills with fledgling women entrepreneurs. The cycle helps women run small businesses, provide jobs, and set paths for prosperity in their communities.
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Industry, Innovation, & Infrastructure
In social entrepreneurship professor Tonia Warnecke’s course Global Development Challenges and Opportunities, students research topics related to income inequality through the lenses of geography, gender, and race. Class discussions are open and frank regarding economic disparity in other countries but also within the Rollins student body. “The first step to making real change,” says Warnecke, “is awareness.”
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Sustainable Cities & Communities
The Bush Science Center exemplifies ever-evolving innovation on campus. Not only is it home to high-tech labs that produce original student-faculty research, but the building itself is LEEDcertified with technology that 18 | ROLLINS
Environmental studies professor Bruce Stephenson is an expert on sustainable cities from his previous career as a city planner. Now he collaborates with students on local projects and leads field studies to Portland, Oregon, so students learn how to merge green spaces with modern city architecture.
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Responsible Consumption & Production
Julia Dartmann ’20, Luisa Rivas ’21, and Laura Tafur Vidal ’20 participated in Rollins’ Impact Incubator to help them launch their business, GreenWave Solution, which helps sustainable-product companies with marketing and growth. “We’re taking the concept of sustainability from trend to mainstream.”
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Climate Action
Students combine best business practices with environmental know-how in classes like Strategies for Changemakers. After transforming residential lawns into micro-farms, Mark Angelo ’18 said the course is “tailored for making real change in the current business world” while also “nurturing unconventional solutions to complex world issues.”
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Life Below Water
Rollins is a convenient hub to teeming dive sites where
students can visually study healthy marine environments: reefs in the Florida Keys and elkhorn coral in the Bahamas. Students learn how the health of our global population is directly connected to the health of marine environments.
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Life on Land
he says, “because working in villages and drinking banana beer with people … that’s how you gain a real foundation for human rights.” These field studies open students’ eyes to the ins and outs of community development— whether it’s hauling dirt alongside local villagers or negotiating the nuances of microfinance.
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Develop Partnerships
Environmental studies professor Barry Allen launched the environmental studies program at Rollins in 1982, long before other colleges adopted it. And since 1995, he’s welcomed students to study in Costa Rica before they’ve attended their first class. Tyler Kartzinel ’07, now a professor at Brown, says, “I’ve modeled my own field studies from the courses I took with Barry at Rollins.”
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Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions
Manpower and skills are not so important when political science professor Dan Chong takes students to work in remote regions of Africa. “I’m looking for students who are curious,”
“Solving the world’s biggest problems requires listening and personal connection,” says Rollins President Grant Cornwell, who teaches a course on global sustainability with Provost Susan Singer that’s built around the SDGs. Singer believes these goals provide a true north to guide our focus on people and our planet. In this vein, Rollins has developed hundreds of partnerships locally, nationally, and globally and is continually building more. In fact, campus leaders are heading to Vienna this year to learn more about further integrating SDGs into the curriculum. “We feel the SDGs are designed to lift everyone up,” says Singer, “and that’s how we approach education and life at Rollins.”
What problem do you want to tackle at Rollins? Through Rollins Gateway, you’ll be empowered by expert mentors to create your own pathway to meaning and success. Our interdisciplinary curriculum arms you with 21st-century skills like critical thinking that you will put to the test in a range of real-world, immersive experiences. Find your gateway: rollins.college/gateway
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By Audrey St. Clair ’03 | Photos by Scott Cook
Honor Among
Scholars
Rollins was recently selected to establish a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s most venerated academic honor society, and that’s a pretty big deal. Explore why Rollins made the cut.
Other than reaching the pinnacle of their life’s work, what do legendary figures like Mark Twain, Bill Clinton, Peyton Manning, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have in common? They’re all members of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the U.S. Now we can add another name to that esteemed list: Rollins College. As we look forward to inducting our first class of students this semester, we explore key elements of the Rollins experience that have not only helped us achieve this milestone, but affirm that our approach to a 21st-century liberal arts education is working. 20 | ROLLINS
The South’s Best Faculty
Rollins’ faculty give new meaning to the words “engaged learning” no matter if they’re leading a lab or a field study focused on community development in Africa. Our expert professors are Fulbright winners, published scholars, distinguished researchers, and leaders in their fields, but most of all, they’re teachers, guides, and advisors. And according to U.S. News & World Report, they’re among the best in the business.
A Formula for Success
Social Choice Mathematics. Jack the Ripper. Creating the Digital Future. These are just a few of the classes that comprise our Rollins Foundations in the Liberal Arts general education curriculum, an interdisciplinary collection of courses that teach our students to craft solutions in collaboration.
More Than a Job
The future changes fast. That means the career you’re destined for might not even exist yet, which is why we’ve designed our innovative, interdisciplinary curriculum to prepare you to thrive in an uncertain future. Just ask Pierce Neinken ’06 ’08MBA, global portfolio manager at Airbnb, a company—and a concept—not even on the horizon when he was at Rollins.
Fulbright Scholars to Payne Fellows, our students have used these lifechanging opportunities as springboards for everything from Harvard professorships to foreign service posts with the U.S. Department of State.
In Good Company Fewer than 10 percent of U.S. institutions have earned the right to host a PBK chapter. That’s just one example of the illustrious set Rollins and our students are joining.
Deep Dives
Mentors Matter
Francisco Wang Yu ’21 just landed a spot in a prestigious master’s program at the University of Cambridge, an accomplishment he ties directly to his close-knit relationship with mentor and business professor Raghabendra KC ’13. Stories like this happen on the reg at Rollins, where our mentorship model—which prioritizes ongoing advising and support—is a key driver of our students’ success.
Through Rollins’ Student-Faculty Collaborative Scholarship Program, students and professors work as partners to analyze data, research protocols, and sharpen technical skills in a hands-on learning environment that is indistinguishable from the real thing because it is the real thing. The result? Presenting at national conferences, publishing in academic journals, and edging out the competition when applying to grad school.
U.S. presidents
Supreme Court justices
150+ Learning by Doing
Competitive Advantage
At Rollins, we’re creating critical thinkers, status-quo challengers, creative problem solvers, and global leaders, and they’re landing some of the world’s most prestigious scholarships and awards. From
Today’s employers demand college grads who have demonstrated the ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings. From internships to study abroad, this kind of careerbuilding know-how is at the heart of our mission and at the literal center of our campus, where an entire building—Kathleen W. Rollins Hall— is dedicated to connecting you to opportunities that deepen your learning through experience.
Nobel laureates
Freedom and Rigor Think of Rollins as an education without borders. Dream big, dig deep, and start crafting a college experience that’s as unique as you are:
rollins.college/academics ROLLINS | 21
By Stephanie Rizzo ’09 | Photos by Scott Cook
Endless Eats Think being a college student means a diet of bland cafeteria food? Think again. A pair of culinary enthusiasts team up to show you what’s on the menu at Rollins.
At Rollins, we live to serve. And nowhere is that more apparent than our dining facilities, where we literally serve up nourishment and comfort to students 24/7. Whether you want to indulge in fresh sushi after a long day of class or grab a sustaining smoothie bowl postworkout, we’ve got your cravings covered. And our food isn’t just delicious—it’s award-winning, with everyone from The Daily Meal to Peta 2 hailing Rollins as a college dining destination. But don’t take our word for it—just look at what a typical Rollins student eats in a day. Join Francisco Wang Yu ’22 and Pryslla Oliveira ’23 to get the inside scoop on what makes Rollins a favorite for foodies.
Meet the Foodies
Francisco Wang Yu ’22
Major: International Business Favorite Rollins dish: Crunchy crab roll from Dave’s Boathouse
22 | ROLLINS
Pryslla Oliveira ’23
Majors: Psychology and Philosophy Favorite Rollins dish: Any bowl from Tarpotle
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First stop of the day is the Bush Cafe for a Tar Blue smoothie. It’s a combination of raspberries, blackberries, banana, and blueberries, which gives it this beautiful color and makes it rich in antioxidants.
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For some quick and easy fuel, I grab a chef’s salad packed with protein and veggies from the C-Store in Lakeside Neighborhood. They have a ton of options— everything from pasta to Cuban-style ropa vieja—and a massive selection of drinks.
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Around Town
Lunch is at the main dining hall, which has everything from wood-fired pizza to international food like mongolian beef. They even have allergen-free and vegan options. My go-to is the kitchen station, which serves up the legendary buffalo chicken salad.
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Heading to my internship with Rollins’ Office of Marketing, I hit up the Cornell Cafe, which we call Tarpotle for its Tex-Mex-style food. I get a taco salad with pulled pork and guac (which they make fresh every day!) and then head to our on-campus pub Dave’s Boathouse to pick up fresh sushi for one of my colleagues.
Our hometown of Winter Park is home to some of the area’s hottest restaurants, many of which accept Rollins dining dollars. Get ready to swipe at these local favorites.
Burger-Fi
Burger-Fi elevates the burger concept with chef-crafted creations, hand-cut fries, and decadent shakes. They even have veggie and vegan options.
Umi
Just steps from campus, Japanese fusion at Umi is a must for date night. Think handmade sushi and noodle bowls for days.
Manzano’s Deli
Featuring bread flown in from New York, each sandwich is stacked high with the freshest fixings—we’re talking 15-inch creations customized just for you.
inner is a bento box from the Fox D Lodge Grill on the first floor of Lakeside Neighborhood, our brandnew living learning community. Eating on the pool deck while watching the sunset over the lake is one of my favorite things about Rollins.
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I end my day with a Brazilian Student Association meeting and pick up an acai bowl from Bush Cafe. The acai berry is found in the Amazon in Brazil, and as a Brazilian American, I love seeing the fruit on the menu.
Hungry for more? Join your future classmates on a culinary tour of campus dining and local eateries.
ROLLINS | 23
Reasons Rollins is a Top 10
for
Best Value
From ample aid to top-ranked professors, explore 10 reasons a Rollins education pays big dividends in both the short and long term. U.S. News & World Report recently recognized Rollins among the top 10 best value schools in the South in its 2022 ranking of the nation’s best colleges. The best value category takes into account a school’s academic quality and the cost of attendance. So, the higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the more bang for your buck. To celebrate, we’re taking a look at 10 of the many reasons Rollins delivers one of the best deals in the South.
You have access to ample aid
For nine in 10 Tars, the net cost students pay after receiving some sort of financial aid or grant is far lower than the sticker cost. Each year, about 96 percent of our students receive more than $85 million in combined federal, state, and institutional aid, and on average, firstyear students with a demonstrated need receive as much as $35,000 in financial support.
Your professors are top ranked too
Our expert faculty are consistently recognized as the best professors in the South for their unusually uncommon commitment to undergraduate teaching. The College’s 11:1 student-faculty ratio and average class size of just 17 students mean that you receive personalized attention inside and outside the classroom.
You’ll get your degree in four years
We’re No. 1 all around
Rollins has once again been ranked the No. 1 regional university in the South on U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of the nation’s best colleges. This top-ranked track record—which is based on everything from academic quality to financial resources per student—underscores the quality you can expect on our Winter Park campus and the prestigious weight a Rollins degree carries not only in Orlando, but throughout Florida and across the country. 24 | ROLLINS
Most undergraduate degrees take at least five years to complete, which can add 20 percent to the total cost of college and doesn’t account for the opportunity costs brought on by a late start in the workforce. That’s why Rollins’ Finish in Four guarantee provides a concrete plan for you to complete your degree in four years. If you hold up your end of the bargain, Rollins will pick up the tab beyond your eighth semester.
We offer accelerated pathways
You’ll do real research The kind of research usually available
only at the graduate level. Rollins’ Student-Faculty Collaborative Scholarship Program pairs students and faculty together to explore everything from X-ray astrophysics to racial implications in literature. Armed with advanced skills in data analysis and lab techniques, our students enter grad school with a leg up on the competition.
You’ll be prepared for more than just a job
Through Rollins Gateway—our unique approach to liberal arts education that combines an interdisciplinary curriculum with high-impact experiences outside the classroom and an integrated mentorship model—we help you discover what you truly care about and give you the tools you need to put your ideas into action.
Through our accelerated graduate degree programs, you can save time and money while jump-starting your career. Programs include business administration, applied behavior analysis, education, human resources, liberal studies, and public health. In addition, our pre-engineering track combines a three-year program in the liberal arts with two years of academic work in engineering at one of our partner institutions.
We’ll always have your back
The individualized attention you receive as a Rollins student begins long before you’re actually a student. Our expert admission counselors will guide you through every step of your journey to Rollins. While you’re here, you’ll have a community of mentors who are deeply invested in your personal and professional success. Once you graduate, you’ll join a powerful alumni network and have access to lifelong benefits like networking opportunities and career services.
LIFE IS FOR SERVICE You’ll learn how to become an engaged member of your community
Grounded in the belief that life is for service (what else would you expect from Mister Rogers’ alma mater?), Rollins calls upon you to serve causes big and small, all while gaining invaluable leadership experience and learning what it takes to lead positive, lasting change in the world.
A Rollins education pays off now and later
Just ask recent grads like Rachel Goldenberg ’19, an English major working at Penguin Random House in the Big Apple, or leaders like Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for House Affairs Brent Woolfork ’02. According to a recent Georgetown University study, the return on investment for an education at a liberal arts college like Rollins is more than $900,000 40 years after enrollment—over 25 percent higher than the median gain at all colleges. ROLLINS | 25
Rollins at a Glance 289
Established 1885
International students from 72 countries
2,145
(fall 2021)
90+
International programs
College of Liberal Arts enrollment
60+
(fall 2021)
70+ Percent of
Areas of study
150+
17 Average class size students study abroad
11:1
Student clubs and organizations
Student-faculty ratio
Finish in Four
Learn more about Rollins’ fouryear graduation guarantee at rollins.college/finish-in-four.
Select Awards & Rankings No. 1 Regional University in the South
No. 1 Liberal Arts College in Florida
U.S. News & World Report, 2019-2022
Niche, 2021
Top Ranked for 25+ Years
No. 1 for Percentage of Students Who Participate in Alternative Breaks
U.S. News & World Report, 1996–2022
Top 5 for Committment to Undergraduate Teaching U.S. News & World Report, 2021-2022
Top 10 Best Value School
U.S. News & World Report, 2022
Top Producer of Fulbright Scholars
U.S. Department of State, 2013–2017, 2019-2022 26 | ROLLINS
Break Away, 2018–2019
No. 1 Most Beautiful College Campus Condé Nast Traveler, 2020
Top 10 for Percentage of Students Who Study Abroad
Institute for International Education, 2013–2021
97%
of Rollins’ 2018 graduates engaged in the workforce, grad school, or volunteer service 12 months after graduation.
My Rollins Life
Carley’s Favorite … Place on campus: Lucy Cross Center for Women, Gender & Sexuality Study spot: The Tower Room in Olin Library
Defining Leadership Carley Matthews ’22 isn’t trying to fit a certain mold of leadership—she’s using her own voice and style to redefine the role.
Psychology major Carley Matthews ’22 didn’t set out to become a campus leader when she started at Rollins. In high school, she was shy and introverted and came to college worried about making friends. But she faced her fears and started getting involved on campus. She joined the Black Student Union, became a first-year representative for Rollins’ Immersion program, which pairs students with service learning opportunities, and joined the club volleyball team. Now the social justice advocate is on the precipice of transitioning her educational outreach internship at the OnePulse Foundation into a full-time role after she graduates.
A Home Base
“Fitting in at Rollins was definitely at the forefront of my mind coming into a predominantly white institution. But being a part of the EMBARK program really helped. This program helps students from underrepresented backgrounds transition to life in college. We got to meet before classes even started our first year, and I made so many good friends. Later, I became a student coordinator so I could help other new students find their way. This experience really gave me the confidence I needed to grow socially, personally, and academically.”
Light and Potential
“When I got a grant to cover the rest of my tuition, I was extremely thankful. As a first-generation college student, I’m really grateful for the staff and faculty who saw
Park Avenue hangout: Central Park, especially the area by the rose garden Campus dining venue: Dave’s Boathouse for comfort food and the relaxed vibe
potential in me and helped me navigate the financial aid process. It’s been a substantial help for my family. I have two younger sisters who are looking at colleges, and now I get to help them on that journey as well.”
In My Own Skin
“The Black Student Union was one of the first clubs I joined on campus, and I had always been a kind of leader in the background. All of the staff and faculty mentors saw the need to push me to the forefront and lovingly challenged me to step into a position that would prepare me for what I wanted to do in the future. Now it’s my goal to stand in leadership roles like the one I have now as the president of BSU and use my voice for good.”
Rollins College Admission 1000 Holt Ave. — 2720 Winter Park, FL 32789
Welcome to your pathway to purpose From your first day as a Tar, you’ll begin charting your own course to success—one marked by meaningful mentors, hands-on experiences, and epic adventures. Let’s get your #RollinsLife started. Secure Your Spot Submit your deposit and guarantee your place as a Tar today. rollins.edu/deposit Share Your Story Show the world you’re ready to embark on your #RollinsLife. rollinslife.com Experience Your Rollins Get an up-close look at what life as a Tar is really like at an Experience Rollins event. rollins.edu/experience
