7 minute read
THE HOOD’
In the Presidential Fellows Program, students receive uncommon glimpses in higher education, creating career opportunities and “surreal” experiences.
BY ANDREA MUJICA
Shown above: student Benjamin Barclay
Inside the historic DeLand Hall, in the DeLand Boardroom, Stetson’s 10th President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, addresses the newest cohort of the Presidential Fellows Program with his sleeves rolled up and a smile on his face.
“I like to describe this course as an opportunity for them to get to see underneath the hood of how a university works,” he says. “I think there is tremendous value in that, especially as they first get introduced to their college experience.”
During the fall semester, sitting at a round table, resembling the way King Arthur and his knights of the round table used to gather, 25 first-year students — each with outstanding academic achievement — ventured into a class unique in nature while developing a deeper understanding of what makes Stetson special.
“Every class session is an opportunity to work in small groups in a cooperative, learning kind of environment,” Roellke continues. “The peer purpose of that is we want this course to be a dialectic approach, meaning students are going to consider critical issues from multiple perspectives before they form an opinion.”
In characteristic style, Roellke started every class with a “silly dad joke,” which breaks the ice and sets the atmosphere the students need to home in for the class.
“Being a Presidential Fellow has been a surreal experience so far,” says Benjamin Barclay, majoring in Finance with a Pre-Law track. “It is beyond exceptional to have a close relationship with the university president and be taught a course by him. Since taking the course last semester, my vision of how I want my college career to go has expanded. It has driven me to be more involved in the school, attend more events and participate more in other classes.”
For Erion Sanders, majoring in Health Sciences with a minor in Public Health, being offered a place in the program solidified her decision to attend Stetson.
“All I thought was ‘this is my opportunity,’” she says. “This is my gateway to avenues I never imagined, and my opportunity to be involved and develop myself.”
And, since her arrival at Stetson, she has not been disappointed.
“Being in a class taught by our university’s president allowed me to ‘see underneath the hood’ of higher education. I learned about Stetson’s values and how our school functions. I am encouraged to learn about our history and be involved on campus. The class was rich in knowledge and relationships, it was beautiful,” adds Sanders, who aspires to become the first doctor in her family.
Stetson University Presidential Fellows Program Video
The Beginnings
Officially established in 2021, the Presidential Fellows Program recruited its first two students for the Fall 2022 semester.
“It essentially was a pilot program,” describes Davion Belk, deputy chief of staff and Student Success Advocate. “From the first year to the second year, we grew from two students to 22. Now, we have 47 Presidential Fellows.”
In its third year, the current GPA of the program stands at 3.72.
To be considered for the program, students are required to apply for the J. Ollie Edmunds Distinguished Scholarship, a prestigious scholarship offered at Stetson that covers all the selected students’ expenses during their four years in college. The six finalists who are not awarded the J. Ollie Edmunds Scholarship receive an automatic spot in the program. The next top 50 candidates receive an invitation to be a Presidential Fellow. On a first-come, first-serve basis, the initial 25 candidates who respond and have committed to attend Stetson are accepted into the program.
“When President Roellke first conceived this, he was really intentionally thinking about culture-building,” says Rina Tovar Arroyo, the president’s chief of staff and senior Development officer.
And that is exactly what an array of networking opportunities and mixers has offered students.
“The networking opportunities within the Presidential Fellows program will grow stronger each year,” comments Barclay, who is involved in the Roland George Investments Program and whose goal after graduation is to attend law school and earn his Juris Doctorate. “Through all the networking I have been, and will be exposed to as a Presidential Fellow, I have built a sense of professional etiquette. Being a part of this program will differentiate me from others in my search for internship and job opportunities because not many universities offer such a significant position in a school.”
Moreover, the networking opportunities offered throughout the academic year help pave the way for students to connect with other students, alumni, faculty, staff and sometimes even Board of Trustees members.
“We are asking students who are in this program to dive in, to roll up their sleeves and to help us think through our future together,” Roellke asserts.
Rolling Up Her Sleeves
For Maddie Pascale, a sophomore with an expected graduation date of spring 2026, rolling up her sleeves has come in many shapes and forms. As part of the program, Presidential Fellows are expected to mentor the new cohort of fellows. Pascale, a Political Science major with a Pre-Law track, now has her first mentee, Carlos Mateo Conde. (Sanders is being mentored by sophomore Joseph Ortiz; Barclay’s mentor is sophomore Isabella “Bella” Plank.)
“At first, I didn’t know how to be [Conde’s] mentor because his major and career path has nothing to do with mine,” Pascale says. “But I talked to Davion [Belk] about it, and he mentioned all I needed to do was make a connection with him. So, we chat about once a month just about what’s happening on campus and how he’s doing overall. It’s more of a friendly conversation than a mentor-mentee sort of situation. But I think it’s better because my mentee now knows he has someone he can go to here at Stetson who can provide him some guidance when needed.”
Pascale has an extensive résumé as a Presidential Fellow since her arrival at Stetson. In her short time as a Hatter, she has become a member of the Young Americans for Freedom, Model United Nations, Phi Alpha Delta (a pre-law fraternity) and Omicron Delta Kappa (an American collegiate honor society).
Last summer, she interned in Washington, D.C., with BIPAC, a political action organization. Then she was part of the Washington Semester Program offered at Stetson during the Fall
2024 semester. Parallel to her studies in the fall, she also interned with the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy before returning to DeLand this spring.
“I am hoping to be a corporate lawyer,” Pascale says. “However, being in D.C. has helped me to realize the amount of opportunities for different careers in both public policy and government. While there are many opportunities and career paths, I know that this is the path I want to be on.”
All in all, the Presidential Fellows Program is another avenue Stetson can offer students for a deeper understanding of higher education while also representing what the Stetson community is all about — relationship-rich, personal growth and intellectual development.
“One cannot champion a relationship-rich education without walking the talk,” Roellke says. “So, it’s very important that the leaders of this institution demonstrate what that means. I can think of no better way to demonstrate that than to actually teach a class.”
And, by teaching first-year students, Roellke believes he’s not only shaping the next generation of leaders, but also learning from the students themselves.
“Sometimes,” he concludes, “listening to our students allows us to know what their real needs are. And so, I think that’s the real value of this program — hearing directly from these very talented students what it is they need in order to thrive. And, oftentimes, it’s not that complicated.”
