When Brooke Barnett was named the sixteenth president of Rollins College, the institution indicated more than alteration in leadership — it labeled the start of a new chapter dedicated to community involvement, communication, and relation.
An academic leader and communications intellectual, Barnett, officially adopted her presidency in 2025 after her previous leadership roles at Butler and Elon University. Barnett has already started creating a vision revolved around accessibility and belonging at Rollins.
“I am so honored to be the sixteenth president of Rollins College and ready to make it official. I am also really touched that family, friends, and colleagues from all over the country, and members of the Rollins community right here, are all able to gather together for this moment,” said Barnett.
Barnett’s inauguration took place as a daylong campus celebration, mirroring the vision in structure and tone with a mix of student-driven activities and traditional ceremony.
Instead of focusing on just the formal activities, the inauguration this year focused on bringing faculty, students, and the community to interact with the president in impactful ways.
A Student-Focused Approach to Inauguration
Arranged as a full-day celebration, the inauguration had many events planned, with a program midday made specifically to encourage interaction and calm. The event had food, games, and chances for students to engage with Barnett directly.
“It’s kind of allowing people to get a more personable insight into Brooke Barnett’s life —where she came from,” said Gavin Mitchell, co-chair of operations and logistics, involved in planning the day’s events. “We want to push away that idea that the president is someone you can’t talk to.”
“We wanted it to feel like a place where people can sit back, relax, and just enjoy being there,” Mitchell said beforehand. “President Barnett will be mingling, playing games — just being present with students.”
Students had the opportunity to take part in activities like tournaments and spike ball, musical chairs, and trivia, with the chance to win gift cards and prizes. Themed components and free food — like Southern-style barbecue inspired by Barnett’s background — also gave it a personal touch.
“These aren’t things you typically think of when you hear ‘presidential inauguration,’” Mitchell said. “But that’s what makes it different.”
Mirroring the Philosophy of Leadership
“One of her biggest values is being able to actually talk to students—not just student leaders, but everyone,” Mitchell said. “She wants to be in those environments where students are.”
This philosophy led organizers in making an inauguration that highlighted interaction and accessibility.
“I hope that it inspires them to think of the amazing legacy of Rollins and all the things we will do together in the future,” Barnett said. “I hope people will see the promise and possibility of our shared future and how we will animate our aspirations together.”
The inauguration also keeps traditional elements that honor Rollins’ history.
A Student-led Turning Point
“When people hear ‘presidential inauguration,’ they probably assume it’s all administration,” Mitchell said. “But this has been planned almost entirely by students.”
A student committee, made up of many teams and led by four chairs, held the responsibility for making and arranging most of the inauguration. While administration gave approval and oversight, the creativity behind the event was mainly student driven.
“I think it really hit me during our first meeting with the president’s office,” Mitchell said. “We were sitting there, going over plans, getting feedback — and it just felt like, ‘Wow, this actually matters.’”
A Mix of Change and Tradition
Following the inauguration, a reception was held on the Bush Science Center lawn. The day continued with the Tar-Nation Celebration, a field day featuring games, food trucks, and prizes from 2–4:30 p.m. at the Rollins Museum of Art patio and lawn, and wrapped up with Tars Under the Stars, a neighborhood dance party from 7:30–10:30 p.m. at Mills Lawn.
“It’s about honoring what’s come before, while also introducing what’s next,” Mitchell said.
The sense of change is more than just the presidency. Rollins is making a new phase of strategic planning and undergoing a change in administration, making the inauguration symbolic to the turning point on campus.
Mitchell described the event in three words: “fun, meaningful, and milestone.”
Looking Forward
President Barnett said she hopes the inauguration would serve as an opportunity to remind students what they love about Rollins and motivate them “for a long life of learning, responsible, leadership and engaged global citizenship.”
The inauguration of Brooke Barnett took place on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at the Alfond Sports Center. Those who were unable to attend can view the recorded livestream.
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