Saturday, May 14, 2016

Rollins College


Rollins College in Winter Park Florida is an interesting place.  I spent 8 years there finishing a four year degree, most of it taking two classes a semester and working full time.  Winter Park is the Beverly Hills of Orlando - a pretty place where the people with money live.  Rollins sits at the south end of Park Avenue on the shores of a large lake.  Park Avenue has the nicest boutiques and restaurants along it.

Rollins was founded in the late 1800's by protestant ministers.  It has evolved into a fine liberal arts college, consistently a top 10 liberal arts college in the southeast.  Historically a handful of the student body were local, but Rollins has long been pricy.  It became the place that New England families sent their children who desperately wanted out of cold winters, or who were not quite up to competing in the Ivy League. When I was there in the 1980's and early 90's, the student body was still populated with famous names.  We joked that you could tell the student parking from the faculty parking because the student parking was filled with BMWs, Mercedes, and Porsches, the faulty lot with Toyotas and Hondas.  

I enjoyed my time at Rollins.  I learned a lot, I grew as a person.  I became more comfortable with who I am as person.  Rollins change my life and I will forever have a fondness for the place.  

7 comments:

  1. While I was Growing up my Grandfather lived in Winter Park, the more affordable part of Winter Park.

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  2. It sure did end up changing my life! :)

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  3. what became of the protestant ministers?

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    Replies
    1. Long dead and replaced by the worship of the kumquat.

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    2. This sounds an improvement.

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  4. I wonder if mister rogers ever walked that corridor...

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