Careers & Internships

Alumni Testimonials

Travis Strote '17
Phoenix, Arizona
Yogavated Athletics
Founder

Check out my video playlist on YouTube for more details

I joined Rollins College with the specific intention of attending the Social Entrepreneurship program. I am a United States Navy Veteran that has attended over 4 different colleges and Rollins College’s Social Entrepreneurship major was by far the best college experience I had ever had. Rollins was the first college that encouraged me to think outside of the box and gave me the tools to do so. The hands-on experience we received from visiting local thriving businesses was priceless in applying our newfound knowledge to the real world. The quality of the guest speaker entrepreneurs that came to our individual classes gave us an in-depth and real insight of the struggles and benefits of being an entrepreneur as well as the resources for guidance and mentoring. The social entrepreneurship major at Rollins College was the first-degree path I had taken where I felt I was being prepared for entrepreneurial business in the real world. It has made my post-grad business ventures incredibly successful and given me the tools to make confident decisions in my day to day operations. Yogavated is a sustainable fashion company; in addition to making quality products, our production process helps every single person and environmental aspect directly or indirectly involved with it. Among other innovations, we use scrap fabric for our clothing and accessories, and are 99% waste-free.  

Megan Cury '18
Nashville, Tennessee
FDIC
Financial Institution Specialist

Before coming to Rollins, I had never heard of social entrepreneurship, but have always had this desire to lead an impactful life. I took my first social entrepreneurship class at Rollins and fell in love with social entrepreneurship as it uses innovative business practices to create sustainable change and make a lasting impact. From my first SE class to my very last, this major has helped cultivate my change-making desires and grow them into a tangible skill set that has been invaluable. The social entrepreneurship major has helped change my perspective to look at all situations with a ‘Yes And’ mentality and to be able to critically think and problem solve, while still keeping empathy at the basis of every decision I make in the business world. This unique perspective has allowed me to stand out from my peers and be successful since graduation. I’ve continued my desires to lead an impactful life and am working in the public sector as a Financial Institution Specialist for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Elyse Tran '16
San Francisco Bay Area, California
Santa Clara University
Law School Student

As a Social Entrepreneurship major, my education extended far beyond the walls of my marketing and finance classes. By including Shark Tank-style pitch competitions and Immersion trips as part of the curriculum, the program not only gives students the tools to succeed in today's rapidly changing business world, but also instills a passion for civic engagement. Following graduation, I served as an AmeriCorps member with the American Red Cross and JusticeCorps in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am currently in law school and I plan to earn a certificate in International Law, with a specialization in Public International Law. Because of this major, I carry our school motto, Fiat Lux, with me every day as I think about how I can be that light for others and be a part of the greater good. 

Frisco Poenisch '17
Fort Myers, Florida
Gartner
Client Partner - U.S. Department of Defense

Social Entrepreneurship equips the individual not for a job, but for a lifelong pursuit of business excellence. The world is evolving rapidly, and the advantage I found with the Social Entrepreneurship program is a focus on training critical thought, self-sufficiency, and creative problem-solving. These skills apply to careers, self-started ventures, and pursuing a fulfilling life. This is a well-rounded value proposition with clear advantages over specializing in a single career path. I believe that our success grows proportionately to the type of people we become, and the Social Entrepreneurship program is dedicated to developing competent and versatile individuals equipped to create and contribute to business globally and think through lenses of greater social good. The contrast with traditional mentality is clear to those I’ve interacted with since graduation, where my ability to innovate, collaborate, and apply an entrepreneurial mindset to any project has generated consistent recognition from both peers and superiors.

Ariel Yazdian '17
New York City
Zocdoc
Account Associate

My freshman year of college I was placed in a course called Meaningful Life & Productive Career. Just like most students entering into their first year of college – I had no idea what I wanted to major in. Luckily, during my first semester at Rollins, I had an awesome professor and mentor during that course who took me under her wing, and I learned about Social Entrepreneurship and the possibilities it provided for my future. During my second semester, I started my Social Entrepreneurship journey at Rollins and there was no turning back at that point. Throughout the courses in my major, I was able to create new business ideas and make them come to life. I gained knowledge of critical entrepreneurial skills such as creativity, leadership, teamwork, and innovation. I truly believe that my experience at Rollins in the Social Entrepreneurship major helped me step outside my comfort zone and be able to take my talents to New York City. I currently work at a company called Zocdoc, a healthcare technology company providing digital health tools to solve patient problems, where I am able to contribute to the company with my entrepreneurial talents and skills. I can happily say that because of the Social Entrepreneurship major at Rollins College, post-graduation I am able to truly live a Meaningful Life & Have a Productive Career so far!