>> Garrett: My name is Garret Preisser,
and I am the Director for the Rollins Fund,
which helps supplement the
cost for education at Rollins.
We run the different programs
throughout the year for any type
of communication that goes out to the alumni.
We tell the story about Rollins and
hopefully inspire people to give back.
Our two main purposes is to raise
money to help supplement the cost
of an education while also
raising alumni participation,
which helps in the rankings
for US News and World Report.
The costs that we help mitigate will
allow us to put more programs on campus
and keep those programs up
and running fully funded
without having to pull off of our endowment.
That's our thing that we try and protect as
much as we can to which it covers only so much
of the true cost of an education, and so part
of what the annual fund does is help
supplement the rest of that cost.
A typical day for me actually
varies quite differently.
Over the summer we set up our plan for the
year, and throughout the year we help implement
that plan, but for me, I'm tasked
with also with meeting with donors.
So I do a lot of meetings face to fact while
overseeing the communications that we send out,
looking at different proofs, making sure that
we are stewarding those people who give properly
and keeping in touch with all of our donors.
Meeting with the donors, meeting new people,
sharing my Rollins story on why I chose to come
to Rollins, getting to know their
story and making those connections,
and then also connecting our donors
with other donors and other alumni
to help them out in a way that I can.
The most challenging for me is being...
sitting down in the office and having to do some
of the busy work, [laughter] which is all part
of it, but, you know, I have to run numbers,
I have to understand exactly where we are
to hit our projections, and I like understanding
that, but I would much rather be out meeting
with people and being in front of
them to help further the cause along.
You know, I think one of the things that
really helps me in the position that I am
in because I was at Rollins
was being a student here.
You know, I can tell my Rollins
story, and it relates with people,
but as far as if you were going to be doing this
at a different location, not your alma mater,
which I'm very fortunate to
be able to do that, you know,
I think trying to be as well
rounded as possible.
I meet lots of different people in
different industries and different walks
of life-old, young, all across the board.
So to be able to be relatable and be
truthful to who I am and those kind of things
that are important, but you're also
going to need some business skills.
Really we're running a business of
Rollins and raising money for that.
So if I would say, you know,
how can you prepare for it?
Any type of business aspect of it would be a big
plus but then also being able and willing to get
out there and meet people
and networking, connecting.
Definitely great people skills, not only
when you're meeting with potential donors
for the college, but also managing
internally, understanding communications
within the college even up to the president.
I work a lot with the senior leadership to
keep them informed on the progress of the fund
and also and then translating that out to our
donors as we communicate with them on the things
that are up and coming with Rollins and why
Rollins is so important to be invested in.
Well, my Rollins story is I came
here on a baseball scholarship
after serving a mission for
my church for 2 years.
I knew I wanted to play baseball, and even
though I was in Rollins' own back yard
of Central Florida, I didn't know much
about Rollins, but baseball brought me here
and instantly fell in love with the place,
not only because of the baseball experiences
that I had, but also the academic experiences.
It opened my eyes to a much bigger world
out there and the opportunities within it,
and so and much enjoyed my Rollins experience.
After Rollins, I went on to pursue a career
in another field, but being able to volunteer
and come back to Rollins and participate
in chapter events and those kind of things,
and then an opportunity came up in this
field, and it was a wonderful fit for me.
So my Rollins experience is
continuing after my graduation.
It's an industry driven on passion for what
education has to offer, and I think that those
who go to school here at Rollins understand
the great impact that Rollins can have
on their lives to prepare them for the working
environment, and I think if they choose to go
into this, then you can really see a
difference made not only in the greater school,
but in individuals, and that's something
that I really enjoy, and so if you want
to make an impact, this is definitely
a good career path to choose.