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Gateway to Your Future

April 01, 2024

By Laura J. Cole ’04 ’08MLS

Capri Gutierrez in class on her laptop
International relations major Capri Gutiérrez ’23 earned a prestigious Fulbright research fellowship to conduct policy work with a nonprofit organization in Uganda. Photo by Scott Cook.

As a Rollins student, you’ll gain the knowledge, experience, and expertise to pursue your purpose.

Forging a path to the future you want can feel both daunting and exhilarating. At Rollins, we’re here to help you realize your dreams and inspire you to find new ones. Through Rollins Gateway, our signature approach to liberal arts education, you’ll secure the skills, know-how, and experiences you need to stand out from the status quo.

You’ll develop a broad range of knowledge across disciplines, deep expertise in your major, and a toolkit of skills like analytical thinking and complex problem-solving that prepare you to adapt and thrive no matter the challenges you face. You’ll have opportunities to pursue everything from internships and research to study abroad and community service that will augment what you’re learning in the classroom and give you the hands-on experience you need to hit the ground running when you graduate. And you’ll be introduced to faculty, alumni, staff, and fellow students who will serve as meaningful mentors at every step of your journey.

But don’t just take our word for it. We invite you to envision what your own path to purpose will look like while discovering how one recent graduate’s Rollins Gateway led to a passion for global development. Meet Capri Gutiérrez ’23, an international relations major from Winter Springs, Florida, who is currently in Uganda working as a Fulbright Research Fellow with the Justice and Reconciliation Project to create a database of child victims of war that will be used by the Ugandan government and NGOs to provide essential support.

A student presents in class at Rollins
Photo by Scott Cook.

Future-Proof Foundation

Regardless of the path you choose, you’ll gain a solid foundation of knowledge and skills to succeed in our ever-changing world. Our small class sizes—just 17 students on average—combined with our unique approach to a liberal arts education ensure you get the attention you need and leave equipped with a suite of 21st-century skills like creative problem solving, critical thinking, and collaborative teamwork that will allow you to thrive no matter what the future throws at you.

“At Rollins, I learned to think critically and through a global lens. [Political science professor] Dan Chong’s class, Politics of Global Poverty, confirmed my passion for global development, and now I’m publishing a book with him that will be taught to students in the same class that sparked my interests.”

Capri Gutierrez jumping in front of Uganda/Equator sign

Liberal Arts in Action

You’ll put the future-proof skills you learn in our small, discussion-based classes to work in the world through everything from internships to study abroad. You’ll not only develop your passions and discover your purpose through these immersive experiences, but you’ll also gain the kind of practical, real-world know-how that employers and graduate schools demand.

“I spent a semester abroad in Uganda, where I learned firsthand about community-based development by speaking with former child soldiers, refugees, and women impacted by gender-based violence. I also conducted research on the gap between policy and the needs of people living in remote Ugandan villages. This hands-on experience was essential to being selected for the Fulbright research fellowship, which is allowing me to continue the important work I started as a student at Rollins.”

A Rollins student meets with a study abroad advisor.
Gutiérrez’s relationships with advisors like Giselda Beaudin in Rollins’ Office of International Programs played a key role in her success. Photo by Scott Cook.

Meaningful Mentors

Along your Rollins journey, you’ll be guided by a constellation of mentors who will help you feel better prepared for your classes, your career, and your life. From faculty advisors and staff experts to peer guides and alumni mentors, you’ll be supported by people who care deeply about you and are actively invested in your personal and professional success. Best of all, they can answer your questions—even the ones you don’t think to ask.

“I received so much support from the Office of International Programs, the Office of External Fellowships & Scholarships, Rollins alumni, and my professors. My greatest mentor, Dr. Chong, helped me define my career goals, edited drafts for the fellowships and scholarships I applied to, and has been my biggest supporter. He saw me for the person I wanted to be, which pushed me to become that person.”

Capri Gutierrez in her cap and gown on the Rollins campus.
Photo by Scott Cook.

Rollins Results

The value of Rollins Gateway is in the combination of your experiences, in the connections you make between them and how they uniquely combine to create the path only you alone can walk. With the knowledge and skills to adapt to an ever-changing world, a wealth of real-world experience, and a strong network of relationships that will extend well past Rollins, you’ll join the ranks of our alumni who have gone on to work at Fortune 500 companies, attend the world’s best graduate schools, launch successful startups, and make a difference in the world both locally and globally.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without Rollins. I wouldn’t have found my passion and be in Uganda now, or have been introduced to so many opportunities, or have received mentorship from Professor Chong, which has absolutely changed my life.”

A visual representation of a student's journey through Rollins Gateway, from study abroad experiences to original research opportunities.

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