The Experience Edge

We all have them. The experiences that alter what we know and who we are. The moments when significant change occurs and a new path comes into focus.

At Rollins, these moments are by design. Known as inflection points, they’re woven into the fabric of a Rollins education, embedded in coursework, conversations, and every extracurricular opportunity.

“From day one, we offer opportunities for students to begin thinking about how they can make the most of their time at Rollins to help prepare them for life beyond,” says Micki Meyer, Lord Family assistant vice president of student affairs for engagement and dean of Rollins Gateway.

Sometimes partnering with a local nonprofit sparks a life dedicated to service. Sometimes conducting research fuels a passion for discovery. And sometimes, the right internship changes everything.

For Michael LaGessie ’24, two internships at Universal Destinations & Experiences gave him a competitive edge that no credential could replicate. When Universal hired LaGessie as a fixed asset accountant after graduation, he didn’t fit the typical mold. No accounting degree. No CPA. What he had was something more valuable: the respect of colleagues who witnessed his ability to walk into a room, ask the right questions, and build the kind of partnerships that make organizations work.

[Michael Lagessie image]

“My boss said when he asked others who in the company was ready for a growth opportunity, people mentioned my name,” says LaGessie. “Other candidates may have had more accounting experience, but they didn’t have the broader understanding of business I was lucky to have because of Rollins. That was a game changer.”

In a field where technical credentials often dominate, LaGessie’s story underscores the value of applied learning. Internships, study abroad, service, and leadership roles put knowledge into practice, building the desirable skills that set Rollins graduates apart and set their careers in motion.

Learn by Doing

Hayley Stoddard ’24 didn’t plan to fall in love with numbers. But in business professor Serina Haddad’s statistics class at Rollins, something clicked. And it changed everything that followed.

“I can’t think of a day when I’m not on Excel doing some sort of statistical analysis or graph for a presentation,” says Stoddard, who majored in international business and minored in data analytics and French.

But falling in love with numbers and knowing how to turn that passion into a career are two different things. Clarity came during an internship while doing data visualization for a fintech startup in Dublin. For the first time, the concepts she had studied in class took on urgency and purpose.

“In my internship, I built out a lot of dashboards and insights, and knew that’s what I wanted to do,” she says. “Taking that statistics class was a butterfly effect. Because I took it, I did an internship, and because of that experience, I was all in. It’s very similar to what I do now.”

What began as a spark in the classroom became a defining moment in her career. Today, Stoddard is a digital growth analyst at Travel + Leisure Co., leading analytics for Sports Illustrated Resorts. Her LinkedIn profile captures it simply: “I love turning data from numbers into the start of meaningful stories.”

LaGessie’s internships provided the same kind of awakening. In class, he was studying inventory management, financial analysis, and leadership. On the job, those concepts stopped being theoretical. He managed sales, inventory, and talent. He analyzed profit and loss statements. He learned what it means to be accountable for outcomes—and for people.

“It was incredible to dive deeper into the topics I was learning about,” says LaGessie, who analyzes capital assets for Universal. “Most internships are a foot in the door for your bigger, broader interests, and mine showed me how to be an asset in this company.”

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For LaGessie, Stoddard, and countless others, internships are more than résumé lines. They are the moment when learning becomes real and when employers get a clear view of a candidate’s true potential.

National data reflects just how much this matters. According to the 2025 Internship & Co-op Report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 62 percent of employers extended full-time offers to their interns. Even among those who didn’t, 81 percent say they are more likely to hire candidates with internship experience, according to a recent employer report by the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U).

In my internship, I built out a lot of dashboards and insights, and knew that’s what I wanted to do. Taking that statistics class was a butterfly effect. Because I took it, I did an internship, and because of that experience, I was all in. It’s very similar to what I do now. —Hayley Stoddard ’24, Digital Growth Analyst, Travel + Leisure Co.

But internships aren’t the only experiences that move the needle. That same AAC&U report found that 81 percent of employers are equally likely to hire a student who held a campus leadership role, just above the 73 percent who favor candidates with jobs during college.

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“One of the greatest investments of time while on a college campus is for students to engage in an internship,” says Meyer. “But they’re not the only valuable experiences students can have. Leadership roles in student organizations allow students to execute vision, strategy, and teamwork. I often say, if you can lead and inspire your peers, you can do anything.”

Tianna-Marie Rosser ’20 understands why. As manager of brand experience for the Detroit Pistons, she works across departments and with influencers to produce social media campaigns, suite experiences, and pop-ups. Internships in social media and athletics on campus helped her build technical skills “that made transitioning to doing social media for an NBA team easy.” But her time as a residential assistant and captain of the women’s basketball team proved just as formative.

“Being an RA, I learned how to work with people,” says Rosser, a communication major. “On the basketball team, I had coaches who taught me how to navigate conflict and supported me through the process. I use those skills every day.”

LaGessie and Stoddard share similar stories. Organizing a campuswide Christmas service as a leader for Cru Ministries taught LaGessie how to bring people together across departments and perspectives. It’s a skill he uses regularly in coordinating work across teams and time zones. Stoddard’s role as president for Delta Zeta, where she worked to bring alumni back to campus, mirrors the audience engagement work she does in marketing today.

“You can apply that experience in a lot of ways,” she says, “but so much of it was making sure the right people saw the right message.”

A Broader Lens

In her role with the Pistons, Rosser is responsible for shaping external experiences ranging from influencer integrations to major brand activations. At the center of that work is a deceptively simple question, one Stoddard also learned to ask at Rollins: Do we truly understand the people we’re trying to reach?

“I’m in charge of doing cool stuff to make sure that as a brand, we’re culturally relevant and viewed as leaders within the league,” says Rosser, who credits Rollins’ core curriculum and her minor in critical media and cultural studies with giving her the tools to do just that. “My experiences at Rollins helped me have empathy and understand people and their different backgrounds, which is essential for the work I do with influencers and our audiences. Because of Rollins, I’m able to make sure our brand reflects our city to the fullest capacity.”

My experiences at Rollins helped me have empathy and understand people and their different backgrounds, which is essential for the work I do with influencers and our audiences. —Tianna-Marie Rosser ’20, Manager of Brand Experience, Detroit Pistons

For many students, the classroom introduces knowledge that changes how they see the world. But learning doesn’t stop there. It happens in study abroad programs that immerse students in new cultures. In field studies that bring academic concepts into real-world context. In service-learning projects and partnerships with local nonprofits that ask students to listen, collaborate, and contribute in meaningful ways. At Rollins, these applied learning experiences are designed to ensure students have the opportunity to maximize moments when understanding deepens and worldviews expand.

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Michelle Rodriguez ’24 seized every one of them. Alongside internships with Ayuda and the Farmworker Association of Florida, she spent two years serving on the Immersion planning team, designing trips that placed students alongside local nonprofit organizations to engage issues including homelessness, food insecurity, and racial justice. She also studied abroad in Mexico, learning about immigration from the people and communities experiencing it firsthand.

“My Rollins experiences gave me a leg up on the work I do today with Habitat for Humanity,” says Rodriguez, who serves as the organization’s community outreach coordinator. “I gained applied skills in coordinating with nonprofits, external partners, and people navigating real, difficult moments, which taught me compassion and how to work with both families in need of affordable housing and leaders across our community.”

Her path reflects a broader truth: Experiential learning doesn’t just build skills; it builds perspective.

“Applied learning opportunities give students the experiences and tools they need to respond to the greatest challenges of our times,” says Meyer.

Employers agree. According to the recent AAC&U report, 76 percent of employers are more likely to hire a candidate who engaged with a community organization, and 69 percent favor candidates with a global experience like studying abroad. These aren’t soft extras. They cultivate the mindsets employers increasingly see as central to workforce readiness, such as being able to engage diverse perspectives, practice constructive dialogue, and navigate complexity.

My Rollins experiences gave me a leg up on the work I do today. I gained applied skills in coordinating with nonprofits, external partners, and people navigating real, difficult moments. —Michelle Rodriguez ’24, Community Outreach Coordinator, Habitat for Humanity

The combined skills and mindsets translate across roles and industries. As an associate attorney focused on renewable energy and infrastructure for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in New York, Addiel Perez ’22 oversees project development and finance for utility-scale energy projects, from initial funding to tax equity deals. His path to that highly specialized field was shaped by experiences that expanded his view of the world: volunteering at Shepherd’s Hope, completing a field study in Costa Rica, studying abroad in Uganda and Rwanda, and working on a service project at the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. After graduating, he returned to Tanzania as a field-study site leader and continued his international exposure while earning a J.D. from the University of Miami.

“While at Rollins, I had the privilege of studying sustainable development in Costa Rica and Tanzania— experiences that opened my eyes to the power of community-driven solutions,” says Perez, who majored in political science. “Renewable-energy project finance is a very cutting-edge and niche area of law that many people don’t even know about. I’m super grateful for the work I get to do today, and I am in this space because of the education and experiences I was able to participate in at Rollins.”

[internship photo]

When Opportunity Opens Doors

During his first year of law school, Perez watched as fellow classmates adjusted to the demanding workload. While many were finding their footing, he had already hit his stride.

“In my political science classes at Rollins, we were required to read a lot and show up to class prepared to discuss what we had read,” he says. “I did well in law school when a lot of my classmates struggled because I was used to the rigor of Rollins. It gave me a huge leg up in my first year in law school, which are the grades law firms use to recruit candidates.”

Among his favorite courses at Rollins was Political Psychology, where he studied how emotion, personality, and social relations influence political beliefs and behaviors. He enjoyed it so much that he designed a research project based on the class readings, receiving funding through the Collaborative Research Fellowship Program (CRFP) to survey American voters on how political psychology shaped their opinion of the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

“It was while doing that research with political science professor Pavielle Haines that what I learned in the classroom became real,” he says.

And that’s the point. The transformation from reading about a concept to having a hands-on role in advancing understanding in a field is a hallmark of the Rollins experience. Seventy percent of CRFP participants go on to attend graduate school, citing the rigorous experience as a major motivator. Employers take note as well. According to the AAC&U employer report, 73 percent of employers are more likely to hire a candidate who has completed a collaborative research experience with a faculty member.

It was while doing research with political science professor Pavielle Haines that what I learned in the classroom became real. —Addiel Perez ’22, Associate Attorney, Renewable Energy, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

In fact, all the experiences employers say make them more likely to hire a candidate—internships, leadership roles, community-based projects, research—are built into Rollins’ signature approach to preparing students for meaningful lives and productive careers. And many are made possible by donors. In addition to CRFP, donor-funded programs like Gateway Fellows and Women in Finance are among more than a dozen opportunities designed to enrich students’ experiences while at college and give them a competitive advantage after graduation. Funded by an endowment created by Campbell Brown ’90, the Gateway Fellows program covers all expenses, including accommodations, travel, and food, so students can afford to participate in highly selective summer internship opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.

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Angelina Khourisader ’23 ’24MBA is one of 201 students who have benefited from the fellowship. The summer before her senior year, the computer science major landed an internship in then Sen. Marco Rubio’s Washington, D.C., office.

“Because of the Gateway Fellowship, I didn’t have to worry about the financial side of the experience,” says Khourisader. “I just got to say yes, knowing Rollins was going to make sure I could pursue it.”

During her time on the Hill, she attended various committee meetings, including one on proprietary technology across industries, turning her studies in lobbying and public policy into lived experience. The internship showed her where she belonged.

“One of my greatest takeaways from that experience was knowing I wanted to come back to D.C. after graduation,” she says. “I knew that was the place for me; it was where I fit and where I wanted to kick off my professional career post-graduation. The internship allowed me to propel my career and to be the person I want to be outside of my career.”

Today, Khourisader is an analyst on the management consulting team at World Wide Technology, helping clients navigate digital transformation, cloud strategy, and the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning. The network she began building in D.C. as an intern has only grown over the two years that she lived in the nation’s capital. This includes with the Florida House, where she serves on the board of trustees. She partnered with them to launch FL|DC Connect, a professional networking organization for Floridians and alumni of Florida colleges and universities living in D.C.

Because of the Gateway Fellowship, I didn’t have to worry about the financial side of the experience. I just got to say yes, knowing Rollins was going to make sure I could pursue it. —Angelina Khourisader ’23 ’24MBA, Analyst, Management Consulting Team, World Wide Technology

For Khourisader, the internship on Capitol Hill wasn’t just a line on a résumé. It was a true inflection point—one made possible because donors invested in her ability to say yes.

LaGessie is building a career inside one of the world’s largest entertainment ecosystems. Stoddard is turning data into stories for a global travel brand. Rosser is shaping what it means to be a fan of one of the NBA’s most storied franchises. Rodriguez is helping families find a place to call home. Perez is financing the infrastructure of a cleaner future. And Khourisader is helping organizations navigate the technologies transforming the world while preparing them for what comes next.

Six graduates. Six different paths. One common thread: an experience at Rollins when learning became real—and everything that followed became possible.

“My internship opened my eyes to what a life as a lobbyist or in public policy would really look like,” says Khourisader. “Getting to see what I studied firsthand was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, and it changed my life.”

By the Numbers

While every experience is personal, the scale of engagement reflects a campus where hands-on learning and real-world impact—the very things employers seek most—are the norm, not the exception.

• 85+ study abroad programs
• Top producer of Fulbright Students
• Top 5 for Study Abroad
• 40,000+ service hours completed in 2024-25
• 70% of Class of 2025 students completed an internship or related experience
• 50+ community engagement classes in 2024-25