What I’ve Learned (So Far): Brooke Barnett

Brooke Barnett has been busy. Since taking office on July 1, 2025, the College’s 16th president has spent virtually every day engaged in an ambitious effort to harness the collective wisdom of the Rollins community and to soak in the full range of experiences that make this place special.

Along the way, she’s met personally with every department and many student organizations on campus. She’s hosted alumni and donor gatherings in Winter Park and across the country. And she and her husband, anthropology professor Tom Mould, have invited every member of the Rollins community—nearly 4,000 faculty, staff, and students—to Barker House.

Barnett has experienced all sorts of firsts— from her first SPARC Day and Fox Day to her first convocation and commencement. She and Mould have cheered on each of the College’s 21 varsity athletic teams, attended student performances and exhibitions at the Annie Russell Theatre, Tiedtke Concert Hall, and Rollins Museum of Art, and worked side by side with students, faculty, staff, and alumni on an array of service projects.

The new president has asked thousands of questions and done several hundred hours of listening. More than anything, she has learned about the people, programs, and places that have transformed the lives of students for 140 years and made Rollins one of the nation’s best liberal arts colleges. On the eve of her inauguration, we asked President Barnett to share some of things she has learned about Rollins during her first year.

Relationships are at the heart of the Rollins experience. No matter what brought them to Rollins, students, faculty, staff, and alumni stay, thrive, and come back because of relationships. They remain the College’s greatest strength.

Our students make me excited for the future. They are bright, curious, and ambitious, and they pursue their interests with energy and purpose. They are the most important part of Rollins, and I will invest my whole self to make Rollins the best it can be for them.

Our faculty change lives in ways that last for decades. Great teaching leaves a lifelong imprint, and I’ve seen how a single course or mentor can influence how our graduates think, lead, and serve—even 50 years later.

Teaching, scholarship, and mentorship are inseparable. Our faculty don’t just teach content—they generate knowledge and invite students into the process. That integration defines academic excellence at Rollins.

Our staff are stewards of student experience and institutional excellence. From student-facing roles to behind-the-scenes operations, Rollins staff bring care, expertise, and pride to their work, and students feel the difference.

Our alumni make us proud every day as they reflect the Rollins ethos in their lives and work. We’ll continue to do everything we can to make them proud of their alma mater by creating an environment that will always feel familiar but will also always improve.

Rollins is a love letter to the liberal arts. The liberal arts aren’t theoretical ideals at Rollins—they are applied, dynamic, and deeply connected to the world our students are preparing to enter.

Service is a way of life here. The ethos of service permeates throughout campus and is carried out into the world by our students, faculty, staff, and grads.

Applied learning must be accessible. Practices like internships, research, service, and study abroad should be available to all students—with barriers thoughtfully removed—because we know how vital they are to student success.

Rollins is worth believing in. Higher education faces real headwinds, but I look to the future with optimism because of the people here—their expertise, talent, care, and commitment. Together, we’ll focus on what matters most to our students and act decisively.