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This past summer marked another moment when Tars near and far put their Rollins education to work in the world. From supporting world-class companies in theme park entertainment to analyzing proposed legislation on Capitol Hill, our students harnessed life-changing, career-defining internship opportunities across the globe.

Internships play an integral role in laying the foundation for future success and serve as a key pillar of the Rollins experience, which prioritizes hands-on learning. In fact, a survey conducted by the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) reveals that today’s employers demand college graduates who have demonstrated the ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings. In addition, 90 percent of executives and hiring managers said that they were more likely to hire candidates with internship experience at a company or organization.

As last spring turned to summer, we asked students to keep us in the loop as they embarked on their summer internships. Here are a few of our favorites.

International business major Michael Lagessie ’24 was one of only two students selected for the highly coveted merchandise operations internship at Universal Orlando Resort—a rare opportunity awarded from a competitive pool of thousands of applicants.

As a merchandise operations intern, Lagessie managed the sales, inventory, and talent within his assigned location as well as helped support Universal’s warehouse, purchasing, visual, human resources, and finance teams. During his rotations, he did everything from putting together store layouts and creating managerial reports to shipping and receiving packages, personalizing products, and even making fudge.

“Every day I am learning something new, and through this role, I have been able to develop my professional and leadership skills," shares Lagessie. “My time at Rollins helped prepare me for this internship by teaching me how to get the most out of my experiences in many different ways. Throughout my internship, I’ve used inventory management skills I’ve learned from business professor Emmanuel Kodzi, financial analysis skills from finance professor Richard Lewin, and having an entrepreneurial mindset, which I gained from business professor AJ Althuis.”

Environmental studies major Yanelle Hernandez ’25 spent the summer expanding her knowledge of plants as a plant science and horticulture intern with the Huntsville Botanical Garden in Alabama. From the herb garden to the numerous nature trails, Hernandez was responsible for pruning, composting, native plant care, invasive plant removal, sustainable fruit and vegetable gardening and harvesting, pest management, and trail management.

“Being an environmental studies major at Rollins has opened up so many doors for me, allowing me to dive deeper into what we learn in the classroom through hands-on learning out in the field,” says Hernandez. “This immersive experience has fueled my passion for the environment even more, connecting me with like-minded individuals in the forestry and conservation industry. It has further pushed me to reach my professional goals, aiming to manage reserves and protected habitats in the future.”

Emily Reynolds ’25 spent her summer at the House of Mouse as a finance intern for Disney Experiences (DX), a segment of The Walt Disney Company that includes the theme parks, resorts, cruise line, consumer products, and more. The business management major supported both sales and development finance on the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) team, participating in business area overviews, one-on-one networking opportunities, weekly Foundations of Finance courses with subject-matter experts, a case-study presentation, and a few behind-the-scenes tours.

“I realized how incredible the power of people is,” shares Reynolds. “When a ride or hotel is added to Disney, we as consumers only get to see the end result. However, the magnitude of what happens behind the scenes is astounding. Dozens of finance teams have to gather information to determine everything from whether a project would be feasible to build to how park attendance is forecasted to how many resort rooms will be available per season. Finance needs to answer impossible questions at times, such as how to isolate the effects of one new ride to overall park attendance and revenue.”

Reynolds credits the hands-on, personalized experience of Rollins’ small class sizes for empowering her to forge strong connections with professors and build a network that has paved the way for her success, enabling her to connect easily with colleagues at Disney.

“Although the hard skills of business, equations, and Excel are incredibly valuable, they can also be taught in a way that soft skills cannot,” says Reynolds, who has accepted a full-time position with Disney and is set to return after graduating in 2025. “Gaining these liberal arts skills over my past three years at Rollins has been foundational to my ability to succeed.”

International business and Spanish double major Lane Allen ’25 completed an internship at Newell Brands—home of common household brands like Sharpie, Elmer’s, Rubbermaid, and more. As a global supply chain intern, she gained valuable real-world experience, bringing to life many of the concepts covered in her business classes at Rollins such as supply chain management, accounting, statistics, and organizational behavior. Allen appreciates Rollins’ emphasis on professional skills and credits the Center for Career & Life Planning not only for helping her secure the internship but also for giving her the tools to expand her network with meaningful connections.

As an operations intern at BNY Mellon, international business major Saarah Valentin ’25 enjoyed learning about processes and the behind-the-scenes work, applying various hard and soft skills to complete projects, work with her team, and network. The experience allowed her to assist depository receipt clients from various cultures and countries.

“My Rollins experience has set me up for success by providing me with analytical and research skills as well as learning how to adapt,” says Valentin. “I’m also grateful to have received support from the Rollins Gateway Fellows funded internship program through the Center for Career & Life Planning. I’ve been able to take advantage of the amazing opportunities at BNY Mellon without having to worry about expenses such as transportation, living, groceries, and more.”

Public policy and political economy major Joseph Pool ’26 interned as a political analyst at Biasly, a company that specializes in analyzing and deconstructing political media using artificial intelligence. Pool’s experiences at Rollins proved essential to his success at Biasly. “By taking classes from different disciplines at Rollins,” says Pool, “I’ve been able to combine tools from critical media, political science, economics, data analysis, computer science, and other subjects in my work, setting me up for success in this internship and my future career.”

Biasly’s focus on AI and media analysis aligns perfectly with Pool’s interests, as he’s working toward a career in policymaking. “One of my biggest takeaways so far has been my improved data analysis skills and a better understanding of the role of AI in our lives,” he says. “Biasly’s AI is powerful and already does a great job of picking out policies, biases, and sentiments, but the human role is crucial to its success. This has given me many policy ideas and reaffirmed my takeaway that AI won’t take your job, but the people who know how to use it better than you will.”

As a research intern with Kalogon Inc., Gateway Fellow Nchimunya Mwiinga ’25 gained experience writing literature reviews on seating and wheelchair cushions, analyzing survey data, and sharpening his user-experience and user-interface research and technical writing skills. Kalogon is focused on using technology to improve the lives of those who spend most of their time sitting, such as wheelchair users and pilots, and the computer science and psychology double major was drawn to the company’s mission to serve a community often overlooked.

“This experience has bridged the gap between theory and practice, allowing me to see how concepts I’ve learned in the classroom translate to the professional world,” says Mwiinga. “For instance, I was able to write a blog post about the company’s work in relation to mental health, which directly tied into the research skills I’ve learned as a psychology major.”

Social entrepreneurship major Ricardo Pierre ’25 worked as the RNR student engagement intern in Rollins’ Center for Leadership & Community Engagement. He helped plan service-focused events like Rollins’ annual SPARC Day for incoming students as well as a series of SummerSERVE events benefitting local nonprofits like United Against Poverty, an organization that strives to inspire and empower people living in poverty to lift themselves and their families to economic self-sufficiency.

“As a social entrepreneurship major, working with nonprofits and seeing the direct impact of our efforts has been incredibly rewarding,” shares Pierre. “My biggest takeaway from this experience has been seeing how creating impactful programs requires careful planning and collaboration with community partners. I’ve grown as a leader and gained valuable insights into community engagement.”

Janie Inscore ’25 spent the summer engaging in hands-on therapeutic practices as a mental health counseling intern with Choices Counseling Center in Winter Park, Florida. The psychology major took therapy notes, assisted clients with daily gratitude journals and feeling exercises, and participated in group therapy sessions.

“This role has allowed me to gain practical experience in psychodrama and experiential therapy, working with individuals suffering from various forms of addiction,” she says. “Through this experience, I have gained insights into effective therapeutic techniques and contributed to clients’ journeys toward recovery, thereby enriching my understanding of techniques and disorders beyond textbook descriptions.”

From research projects to courses like Positive Psychology and Developmental Psychology, Rollins’ psychology department was instrumental in preparing Inscore for this internship. She plans to dedicate her senior thesis to exploring how adverse childhood experiences impact patterns of addiction and hopes to pursue a PhD.

Environmental studies major Matthew Dorsey ’27 interned with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Marine Fisheries as a state management area ranger. With a passion for protecting the environment, Dorsey cared for seven different public fishing areas along Rhode Island’s southern coastline that allow for onshore fishing access, beach access, and hiking trails. After completing a course on national parks and protected areas with environmental studies professor Barry Allen and joining him on a field study in Costa Rica, Dorsey was able to apply what he learned in class about management areas and public spaces to his hometown community.

Recent graduate Bobby Sena ’24 spent his summer on Capitol Hill as a Florida House intern with the U.S. House of Representatives. The political science major gained a deeper understanding of the legislative process, improved his skills in event planning and management, and learned how to engage effectively with constituents and stakeholders. Sena helped organize and create social media content for the Olympic Soiree, a celebration for Florida athletes on Team USA, which attracted over 70 attendees, including two-time Olympic gold medalist Delisha Milton-Jones.

As part of his internship, Sena also worked with the Office of Rep. Frederica Wilson as a congressional intern, assisting with managing constituent services, attending briefings on behalf of the office, and preparing reports for federal agencies detailing the congresswoman’s work on specific issues.

“People are often encouraged to ‘Call your congressperson,’ but seldom do they consider what happens after that call,” shares Sena. “Working in Wilson’s office has provided insight into this process, enriching my understanding of legislative procedures, Congress’ role in shaping the political landscape, and what it takes to keep Congress functioning.”

Sena says the experience has significantly complemented what he learned in class, specifically from his Introduction to American Politics course, deepening his grasp of the theoretical aspects of committee politics in shaping legislation and overseeing government activities. This internship was even more impactful after his participation in the Democracy Project at Rollins, where he assisted with student voter registration, organized civic engagement events, and collaborated with external civic organizations.

Economics major and data analytics minor Guillermo Acha Suner ’25 joined Siemens Energy’s Orlando office as a sales operations intern, supporting the sales team with data analysis, preparing sales reports, managing pipelines, and studying various markets or customer segments. Suner’s academic journey at Rollins provided a strong foundation for his success during the internship, where he directly applied the statistical and analytical skills honed through data analytics courses, seamlessly bridging classroom theory with real-world application.

“I’m interested in how economic principles and data analytics can drive business decisions in a large corporation,” shares Suner. “Through this immersive experience, I gained insights into effective sales strategies and operations and learned how valuable data analytics can be in driving business decisions. This internship really sparked a deeper interest in exploring this field further.”

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