Putting Passions into Practice
Tars share some of their biggest accomplishments from summer 2025 as they channeled their Rollins education into real-world, career-defining internships.
September 24, 2025
Powering global operations. Observing justice in action. Bridging science and communication. This past summer, Tars near and far put their Rollins education to work in the world and harnessed life-changing, career-defining opportunities to discover what drives them.
These transformative experiences are an integral part of Rollins’ signature approach to preparing students for meaningful lives and productive careers. According to a National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook Survey, one of the top qualities employers look for in new hires is internship experience in the field, and they reported that 69 percent of interns were offered full-time positions by their employer.
As last spring gave way to summer, we asked students to keep us in the loop as they embarked on their summer experiences. Here are a few of our favorite internship stories from summer 2025.
Business management and economics double major Alex Koussev ’26 worked at Royal Caribbean Group this summer as a business planning and performance management intern through Rollins’ Gateway Fellows paid internship program.
“I was drawn to this role because it blends analytics, technology, and strategy,” says Koussev. “I leveraged large datasets to build performance dashboards and generated actionable insights that informed teams across the organization. By collaborating cross-functionally, I helped align data with strategic initiatives to drive efficiency and operational improvement.”
Koussev credits the small, discussion-based classes at Rollins for teaching him how to communicate with purpose, listen actively, and think critically—valuable skills he utilized daily at Royal Caribbean.
“High Performance Organizations with [business professor] Ryan Dodds gave me a framework for understanding how teams operate,” he says. “In Customer Experience Management with [business professor] Bob Phillips, I learned that long-term business success is increasingly driven by the ability to deliver value through a deeply customer-centric lens. At Royal Caribbean Group, I saw these concepts that I learned in my classes come to life.”
This summer, Adriana Gambuzza ’26 served as a judicial intern to Judge Diana Tennis of the Ninth Judicial Circuit at the Orange County Courthouse.
As a political science major on the pre-law track, aspiring judge Gambuzza pursued this internship as an ideal opportunity to gain real-world courtroom experience. The summer included observing jury selection, witnessing how the defense and prosecution questioned witnesses and applied their strategies, and attending civil court cases and pretrial hearings, providing insight into the broad scope of proceedings that judges oversee.
“I connected with Judge Diana Tennis through the Inside the Courts program, which I attended as part of my legal writing class with [English professor] Jana Mathews,” says Gambuzza. “If it weren’t for that connection, I probably wouldn’t have had this one-on-one opportunity to intern with her.”
Gambuzza’s time as a judicial intern complemented what she’s learned in her political science classes, particularly in American and international politics.
“It’s one thing to study the judiciary and how it fits into the broader government system, but it’s another to see it in action,” she says. “Watching how international law and state law interact made the political theory and legal frameworks I’ve studied feel much more real and relevant.”
Theatre arts major Anna Stephens ’27 interned at Camp Boggy Creek—a free camp designed for children with serious medical illnesses to experience joy and happiness in a camp setting. As a part of their theatre activity staff, Stephens helped lead activities for campers ranging from 7 to 17 years old.
“I’ve been weaving so much of what I’ve learned from my theatre classes at Rollins into my activities—from teaching campers about light and sound boards to using improv games as warm-ups,” says Stephens. “The skills I learned in my Improv I class from last fall have been essential. So much of what I did on a day-to-day basis was entirely improvised. Plus, working with children is always unpredictable, so having the ability to think on the spot is so incredibly valuable.”
Stephens’ work at Camp Boggy Creek solidified her passion for introducing young minds to the world of theatre.
“My theatre professors have sparked that passion in me, and I hope to do the same,” she says. “I plan on returning to camp to work with even more campers, and eventually, I hope to be a high-school theatre teacher. Working here has given me so much information about how to work with children, and I feel so much more prepared for my future than I did before this summer.”
Computer science major and data analytics minor Kaley Carrubba ’27 spent the summer as an information technology intern on the Manufacturing Execution Systems team at Lockheed Martin. Her responsibilities included developing and improving a web application, enhancing user interfaces, and collaborating with both technical and functional teams to refine system requirements.
“This internship has taken the technical concepts I’ve learned in my classes at Rollins and brought them to life,” says Carrubba. “Understanding how programming, databases, and system architecture work in a real-world environment has helped solidify what my courses have taught me. I’ve also learned to think critically and approach problems from multiple angles. Group projects and presentations that I’ve done at Rollins have also helped me become comfortable communicating my ideas, which was essential in this role.”
Perhaps her biggest takeaway was learning the importance of collaboration, particularly in tech roles.
“Problem-solving and development moves much faster when we’re all in the same room,” shares Carrubba. “I’ve also learned the importance of staying flexible since projects can shift quickly and often require creative thinking to stay on track.”
As a conservation intern with the Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, marine biology major Avery Lozano ’26 worked with the restoration units and managed summer camp activities with the education branch.
Rollins’ Center for Career & Life Planning helped Lozano prepare for interviews during the internship application process, while her coursework at Rollins and last summer’s field study at the Darling Marine Center equipped her with the skills to collect and record transect data—knowledge she applied throughout her internship this summer.
“My biggest takeaway from this experience has been to try as many different things in my field as I can,” shares Lozano, a Gateway Fellow. “Before this internship, I didn’t know much about oysters, but after learning more about their role in Florida’s ecosystem I’ve developed a greater interest. I’m also learning the importance of networking and maintaining connections in my field.”
As an intern with Orange County's Environmental Protection Division, anthropology major Noah Denmark ’26 drafted an internal newsletter, created video content to promote public lands, and facilitated events to educate the public on water pollution, stormwater management, and fertilizer ordinances.
“My mentor Nancy Rodlun ’07, who I met through Rollins’ Career Champions program, recommended this internship to me,” shares Denmark. “In my environmental classes at Rollins, I’ve learned how excessive use of fertilizer is bad for our lakes and food sources. Having this background knowledge has helped me in my internship when sharing messages with the public.”
The Gateway Fellow also drew on skills developed as a board member of EcoRollins, a work-study student, and an Immersion facilitator—experiences that strengthened his public speaking, problem-solving, and event-planning skills, all of which proved valuable during the internship.
“I’ve been super grateful and blessed to be part of an organization that makes a difference in my community,” he says. “Working in a local government office has shown me that I would like to work with environmental policy in some way.”
As an intern at the Monaco Courthouse (Tribunal de Monaco), political science major Chloé Marquet ’27 shadowed judges and observed hearings across various jurisdictions, as well as reviewed judicial investigation files, observed comparution immédiate (fast-track correctional hearings within 72 hours of an offense), and even toured the maison d’arrêt (prison).
Interested in pursuing law, Marquet witnessed firsthand how political theories and philosophy play out in a real-world application. She gained new understanding of the human nature of the legal process and discovered stories of moral complexity behind each case.
“Studying political science has deepened my interest in the law by showing me how law intersects with governance and society,” says Marquet. “This internship allowed me to explore legal systems in action and see how critical-thinking and analysis skills are used daily in courtrooms. Whether analyzing case files or listening to law professionals discuss legal strategy, I relied heavily on the research, writing, and reasoning skills I’ve developed at Rollins.”
Kiyauna Lewis ’27 spent the summer as a STEM instructor/intern at Lavner Education, teaching elementary and middle-school students everything from coding and robotics to game design and digital media.
“My internship has complemented what I’m learning in the classroom by providing me with real-life opportunities to teach filmmaking, record and edit various clips that my students put together, and digitally create advertisements for the films and videos we created—all skills I’ve been cultivating at Rollins,” shares Lewis. “And my experience as a resident assistant made it easier to teach students about event planning, digital media, marketing and advertisement, photography, and video creation.”
With plans to pursue a career as a filmmaker and social media marketer, the critical media and cultural studies major’s biggest takeaways were cultivating patience, learning conflict resolution, exploring her passions, and solidifying her career aspirations.
Business management major Liz Vice ’27 completed an internship at Nasdaq, the second largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization and a Fortune 500 global technology company.
As a global operations project manager intern, she put the organizational strategies she’d been learning in class into practice by supporting cross-functional projects, leading focus groups, and creating presentations to ensure alignment on timelines, risks, and outcomes.
She described “continually learning as part of [her] workload,” actively expanding her project management skills while facilitating communication and collaboration across the organization. She also learned the importance of networking and continually learning to integrate and leverage AI to help advance her career.
“My internship has complemented not only my business-specific classes but also the liberal arts coursework,” says Vice. “Rollins has encouraged me to be open-minded and learn through being curious and asking questions. I’m incredibly grateful for Rollins’ small, discussion-based classes, which have helped me build confidence when presenting, leading conversations, and working with people from different backgrounds.”
Nora VanDerMeid ’27 leveraged both her marine biology and critical media and cultural studies majors as a marketing intern at Seneca Park Zoo. By capturing photos and creating videos for social media, she contributed to the zoo’s conservation efforts and education goals.
“This internship combined my love and knowledge of animals with my passion for creating media in a unique way,” says VanDerMeid. “While I’ve studied media and analyzed it, this internship gave me a lot of hands-on experience and has been a great complement to what I’ve been learning in the classroom.”
Her experience as a content creator for Rollins’ Office of Marketing—where she creates video and photo content for social media geared toward prospective students—positioned her to succeed at the zoo.
“I love getting to combine creativity with my love for nature and conservation,” she says. “Working in marketing for a zoo or aquarium has been my dream since starting at Rollins, and this internship has confirmed that it’s definitely something I want to continue to pursue.”
Social entrepreneurship major Nazliyan Duman ’26 worked as a community engagement intern at AdventHealth, where she shadowed department leadership, managed nonprofit partnerships, coordinated events, and became proficient in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to support strategic initiatives.
Duman’s capstone project was a department-wide research initiative using lean startup methodology that required interviewing managers, directors, and the executive director to refine AdventHealth’s nonprofit evaluation system and then presenting her findings to leadership.
“The Rollins classroom experience prepares students for real-world problem-solving,” shares Duman. “I’ve developed skills in critical thinking, research, communication, and community engagement that carried into my internship when I presented to leadership, navigated corporate culture, and worked with nonprofit partners.
“At AdventHealth, I saw firsthand the balance between brand strategy and community impact, a dynamic I’d studied in class. I applied academic tools like the Business Model Canvas, lean startup methodology, and nonprofit evaluation to real-world challenges, confirming that I want to continue working at the intersection of business and social impact—that is, building nonprofit partnerships and helping companies practice corporate stewardship.”
This summer, Rollins’ Center for Leadership & Community Engagement hosted its annual SummerSERVE events, open to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the College to give back to their local community through service.
Mei Bao-He ’27 and Yhuvier Vazquez ’29 both volunteered this summer at the Winter Park Day Nursery, where they assisted with field-day activities; The Mustard Seed, supporting Central Florida’s only furniture bank by deconstructing mattresses for recycling; and Welbourne Nursery & Preschool, where they built a sensory garden and cleaned and organized playgrounds.
“These events reminded me that service isn’t just something we do,” says Vazquez, ”it’s part of who we’re becoming at Rollins. I met new people, had great conversations, and saw the impact we can have when we give our time and heart to others.”
“What I love about volunteering is that it is a two-way experience,” says Bao-He. “We contribute our time and energy to a cause, and in return, we learn more about ourselves and expand our civic knowledge.”
Makenna Gary ’26 traveled to Washington, D.C. as a National Environmental Leadership Fellow with the Rachel Carson Council (RCC), participating in the American Environmental Leadership Institute. The program is designed to identify outstanding students with a passion for environmental education, organizing, and advocacy and provide them with financial support to carry out valuable projects and campaigns on behalf of the RCC.
At the leadership retreat, Gary participated in workshops and met with speakers—like U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Maryland state Sen. Sara Love, and sociologist Renee White—in preparation for carrying out her campus initiative focused on sustainability and environmental justice in the academic year.
“As someone more focused on the science side, this internship provided the perfect opportunity to explore journalism, community engagement, and activism,” says Gary. “The meaningful and inspiring experience challenged me to reflect on the kind of impact I want to make.”
Gary praised Rollins’ faculty and staff who have supported her in applying for opportunities like this. “[Art history professor and fellowships advisor] Kim Dennis has been a life-changing mentor and helped me through my application process,” she says. “[Environmental studies] professor Leslie Poole helped me brainstorm my project proposal, and Jessica Jurado Arroyo in the Center for Career & Life Planning conducted a mock interview when I made it to the next step of the application. I’m so grateful for my network of support at Rollins.”
Political science major Shaya Mariji ’27 interned with the law office of Poggia & Bruttin in Switzerland, gaining valuable hands-on legal and political experience drafting confidential documents, registering witnesses, supporting case discussions, and even accompanying lawyer Mauro Poggia to the Federal Parliament in Bern.
Mariji developed a deep understanding of Swiss law and its historical connections to the U.S. “It felt essential to understand the legal foundations of the country where I currently live through the perspective of a system that helped inspire it,” she says.
Several courses at Rollins—like philosophy professor Ryan Bitetti Putzer’s formal logic class and political science professor Dan Chong’s human rights courses—were fundamental to her success, allowing her to effectively analyze witness testimonies and legal defenses and engage more thoughtfully with cases and clients from conflicting nations.
With her sights set on a law career, the experience offered a rare mentorship experience and confirmed her career ambitions. “Working directly at a law firm demonstrated how deeply I’m connected to this field, and Mr. Poggia’s mentorship, which combines law and politics, inspired me and clarified my future direction,” says Mariji, adding that she looks forward to future internships in the U.S. to gain a global perspective on law.
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