Rodelo ’27 Selected for National LEAD 250 Democracy Fellowship

Stephanie Rodelo ’27 has earned a LEAD 250 Fellowship through the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge and Democracy House. The new civic fellowship program is focused on nonpartisan democratic engagement in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The fellowship brings together a national cohort of students committed to strengthening democracy, with participants designing and implementing a commemorative democracy-focused project in their communities while receiving project support, leadership development, skills training, and up to $500 in funding.

Rodelo, a biology and anthropology double major, was encouraged to apply to LEAD 250 by Victoria Teske, associate director of the Center for Leadership & Community Engagement (CLCE), with the fellowship’s mission really resonating.

“In times like these, it is more important than ever to create safe spaces to encourage democracy and learning,” says Rodelo, who serves as the Rollins Civic Engagement Votes Leader on campus, working with the Democracy Project and CLCE on civic engagement programs like Common Ground and Bridging the Divide.

For her LEAD 250 project, Rodelo aims to create a student-centered civic festival that focuses on art, storytelling, and nonpartisan civic education—an opportunity she says is deeply rooted in her experience at Rollins.

“Rollins has been essential for this opportunity,” she shares. “The encouragement and work I’ve done as the Civic Engagement Work Study has truly taught me the importance of providing a united front and encouraging learning on our campus.”

Also as a STEM student interested in pursuing a career in medicine, her coursework has broadened her understanding of civic life’s reach and relevance.

“I’ve learned a lot about how civic engagement can affect our lives, careers, and research,” she says. “Through my classes, professors, and campus experiences, I’ve developed a broader perspective on how interconnected our world truly is.”