Top 25 Stories of 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, we’re bringing back the Rollins stories you loved most this year—one more time.
December 10, 2025
From globe-trotting internships and immersive study abroad experiences to prestigious college honors and milestones, explore the most-viewed Rollins stories of 2025.
1. The Dynamo
Brooke Barnett brings a mindset of possibility, passion, and purpose—and a knack for meaningful, necessary questions—to the role of leading Rollins as the College’s 16th president.
2. Rollins Ranked No. 1 Private Regional University in the South
U.S. News & World Report has ranked Rollins as the top private institution and No. 2 overall among the regional universities in the South for 2026.
3. Academic All-Stars
Rollins’ 2025 valedictorians share highlights from their time on campus, what they’ll miss most, and how the past four years have prepared them to step boldly into the future.
4. Photos: Rollins Unveils New Tennis & Golf Center
On October 23, the Rollins community gathered to celebrate the official opening of the new Tennis & Golf Center, a cutting-edge facility that will elevate the student-athlete experience and honor the College’s legacy of athletic excellence.
5. Rollins Ranks in Top 5 in the Nation for Academic and Athletic Excellence
For the 14th consecutive year, Rollins earned the NCAA’s Division II President’s Award for Academic Excellence, reaffirming its place among the nation’s top colleges for both academic and athletic achievement.
6. What It’s Like ... My First Semester at Rollins
From move-in day to meeting professors and fellow classmates, see a student’s first semester at Rollins through the eyes of first-year Ava Bartolomucci ’28.
7. First Look: East End Neighborhood
East End Neighborhood—Rollins’ newest residential community—is expanding the College’s on-campus living capacity and creating a vibrant new hub where students can live, learn, and connect.
8. 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.
9. Rollins College Named Among Top 15 Most Beautiful Campuses
Rollins College was ranked the No. 13 Most Beautiful Campus this year by The Princeton Review’s The Best 391 Colleges. This is up from No. 17 last year.
10. Fox Day 2025 in Photos
Fox Day was once again everyone’s favorite day of the year. Relive the magic of Fox Day 2025—the sun-soaked memories, the spontaneous joy, and the spirited traditions that made this year’s celebration unforgettable.
11. Orlando, Winter Park Rank Among Nation’s Best Places to Live and Learn
WalletHub names Orlando the No. 3 Best College Town in America and ranks Winter Park the No. 1 small city in Florida and in the top 20 nationwide for quality of life.
12. Foundation for the Future
No one can predict what the world will look like four years from now. That uncertainty might shake some—but not our grads. A Rollins education equips our students to excel, no matter what the future holds.
13. Numbers, Networks, and New Horizons
From global internships to deep connections with professors, Hayley Stoddard ’24 has turned her passion for international business into a career in Orlando’s thriving hospitality sector.
14. Rollins Announces 2025 Alumni Award Winners
Meet the recipients of the 2025 Fred Rogers Global Citizenship Award, Distinguished Alumni Award, Young Alumni Achievement Award, and Alumni Service Award.
15. What I’ve Learned: Grant Cornwell
President emeritus Grant Cornwell reflects on what he learned leading Rollins for the past decade.
16. Pool ’26 Earns Phi Beta Kappa Public Service Scholarship
Joseph Pool ’26 earned the Phi Beta Kappa Key into Public Service Scholarship, recognizing his academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to shaping public policy for the common good.
17. The Princeton Review Ranks Rollins Among Nation’s Best Colleges
Rollins has been recognized as one of the nation’s best 391 colleges by The Princeton Review and has ranked among the top 20 in six additional categories.
18. The Cornwell Era: Better Together
Everyone at Rollins has a go-to story about President Emeritus Grant Cornwell and his wife, Peg—the presidential power couple cultivated a campus culture that invited everyone into the conversation.
19. Rollins Among Nation’s Best for Student Experience
Rollins once again earns national recognition from The Wall Street Journal, ranking among the country’s top 400 colleges and No. 33 in the nation for best student experience.
20. Photos: Welcome Week 2025
From move-in to SPARC Day, here are a few of our favorite moments from Welcome Week 2025.
21. Passport to Possibility
From Scotland to Rwanda, Rollins students spent summer 2025 gaining global perspectives and essential experience through immersive field studies and study abroad programs.
22. Rollins Named Top Producer of Fulbright Students
Rollins continues its legacy of global citizenship and responsible leadership, earning recognition as a top producer of Fulbright Students for the 12th time.
23. Video: Rollins’ New Evening Educare Program
Rollins’ new Evening EduCare program offers low-cost, high-quality child care to students in the Hamilton Holt School’s Professional Advancement and Graduate Studies programs.
24. Rollins Ranks Among America’s Top Colleges
Forbes magazine recognized Rollins among the nation’s top colleges for delivering strong student outcomes, financial accessibility, long-term value, and a personalized path to success.
25. Rollins Announces 2025 Student Achievement Awards
The College recognized nearly 35 students for their academic achievements and positive contributions to campus and the community at the 2025 Student Awards Banquet.
Recent Stories
December 11, 2025
What It’s Like... To Plan One of the World’s Biggest Events
Fueled by the endurance and adaptability she built at Rollins, Morgan Colley ’17 is helping bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup to life on the world’s biggest stage.
December 10, 2025
Rollins Names New Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
Alicia Slater will become the next vice president for academic affairs and provost of Rollins College.
December 09, 2025
Kiefer Published in Business Economics Journal
Business professor Kip Kiefer, in collaboration with his co-author Parul Manocha from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, recently published a scholarly article in the Small Business Economics Journal (SBEJ).