{"id":13620,"date":"2026-03-26T13:18:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T17:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/?p=13620"},"modified":"2026-03-26T14:03:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T18:03:38","slug":"how-j-term-transforms-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/how-j-term-transforms-students\/","title":{"rendered":"How J-Term Transforms Students"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>January Term is one of the most intentionally designed opportunities in Hollins\u2019 academic calendar for student transformation.<\/p>\n<p>The one-month term between fall and spring semesters offers students opportunities to stay on campus or venture away; to take up independent research or participate in a faculty-led seminar; to pick up a briefcase and go to work or pack a suitcase and fly to worlds unknown.<\/p>\n<p>This past January was no exception.<\/p>\n<p>Longstanding seminars such as Roanoke Circuit Court Judge David Carson\u2019s \u201cTrial and Error\u201d course challenge students across majors, from psychology to elementary education, through hands-on engagement with the legal system. In \u201cSurvival in the Modern World,\u201d taught by Mountain Shepherd Adventure School owner Dina Imbriani and Hollins Outdoor Program Director Jon Guy Owens, students pushed through a series of firsts\u2009\u2014\u2009from rock-climbing to shelter-building.<\/p>\n<p>At the heart of this year\u2019s on-campus J-Term experience was \u201cConflict &amp; Collaboration,\u201d a newer seminar introduced as part of Hollins\u2019 redesigned core curriculum. The course, which is for first-year students, focuses on developing skills that shape both academic success and life beyond college.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur previous curriculum had a strong emphasis on developing effective communication skills,\u201d says Rachel Nu\u00f1ez, associate professor and chair, history; Batten Chair in Leadership; director of core curriculum and first-year foundations. \u201cWe wanted to build on that while also helping students strengthen their collaboration and leadership skills, which we know are highly sought after by employers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nu\u00f1ez, who also directs the \u201cFirst-Year Foundations\u201d program, sees \u201cConflict &amp; Collaboration\u201d as a natural progression for new students. While \u201cFirst-Year Foundations\u201d centers on \u201ctelling your story,\u201d this course shifts the focus outward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConflict is something we all experience in our lives, and it can feel scary and overwhelming,\u201d she said. \u201cThis course tries to reorient our attitude to conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This year, the course featured \u201cspecial topics\u201d sessions that allowed students to explore specific themes and faculty to introduce their areas of expertise and interests. From a game of \u201ccapture the flag\u201d to demonstrate teamwork skills, to roleplaying games to practice debate tactics, students explored the foundations of leadership.<\/p>\n<div  id=\"jtg-13626\" class=\"modula modula-gallery modula-columns\" data-config=\"{&quot;tabletHeight&quot;:800,&quot;mobileHeight&quot;:800,&quot;desktopHeight&quot;:800,&quot;enableTwitter&quot;:false,&quot;enableWhatsapp&quot;:false,&quot;enableFacebook&quot;:false,&quot;enablePinterest&quot;:false,&quot;enableLinkedin&quot;:false,&quot;enableEmail&quot;:false,&quot;randomFactor&quot;:0.5,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;grid&quot;,&quot;columns&quot;:12,&quot;gutter&quot;:10,&quot;mobileGutter&quot;:10,&quot;tabletGutter&quot;:10,&quot;desktopGutter&quot;:10,&quot;enableResponsive&quot;:true,&quot;tabletColumns&quot;:2,&quot;mobileColumns&quot;:1,&quot;lazyLoad&quot;:0,&quot;lightboxOpts&quot;:{&quot;animated&quot;:true,&quot;Thumbs&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;modern&quot;,&quot;showOnStart&quot;:false,&quot;position&quot;:&quot;bottom&quot;},&quot;Toolbar&quot;:{&quot;display&quot;:{&quot;right&quot;:[&quot;close&quot;],&quot;left&quot;:[&quot;infobar&quot;]},&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;Carousel&quot;:{&quot;Panzoom&quot;:{&quot;touch&quot;:true},&quot;infinite&quot;:false,&quot;transition&quot;:&quot;fade&quot;},&quot;keyboard&quot;:{&quot;Escape&quot;:&quot;close&quot;,&quot;Delete&quot;:&quot;close&quot;,&quot;Backspace&quot;:&quot;close&quot;,&quot;PageUp&quot;:&quot;next&quot;,&quot;PageDown&quot;:&quot;prev&quot;,&quot;ArrowUp&quot;:&quot;prev&quot;,&quot;ArrowDown&quot;:&quot;next&quot;,&quot;ArrowRight&quot;:&quot;next&quot;,&quot;ArrowLeft&quot;:&quot;prev&quot;},&quot;touch&quot;:{&quot;vertical&quot;:true,&quot;momentum&quot;:true},&quot;backdropClick&quot;:false,&quot;l10n&quot;:{&quot;CLOSE&quot;:&quot;Close&quot;,&quot;NEXT&quot;:&quot;Next&quot;,&quot;PREV&quot;:&quot;Previous&quot;,&quot;Error&quot;:&quot;The requested content cannot be loaded. 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level&quot;,&quot;TOGGLE_THUMBS&quot;:&quot;Toggle thumbnails&quot;,&quot;TOGGLE_SLIDESHOW&quot;:&quot;Toggle slideshow&quot;,&quot;TOGGLE_FULLSCREEN&quot;:&quot;Toggle full-screen mode&quot;},&quot;Images&quot;:{&quot;Panzoom&quot;:{&quot;maxScale&quot;:2}},&quot;toolbar&quot;:true,&quot;wheel&quot;:false,&quot;animationEffect&quot;:&quot;false&quot;,&quot;transitionEffect&quot;:&quot;fade&quot;,&quot;mainClass&quot;:&quot;modula-fancybox-container modula-lightbox-jtg-13626&quot;,&quot;Html&quot;:{&quot;videoAutoplay&quot;:0,&quot;videoTpl&quot;:&quot;&lt;video class=\\&quot;fancybox__html5video\\&quot; controls muted playsinline controlsList controlsList=\\&quot;nodownload\\&quot; poster=\\&quot;{{poster}}\\&quot; src=\\&quot;{{src}}\\&quot; type=\\&quot;{{format}}\\&quot; &gt;  Sorry, your browser doesn&#039;t support embedded videos, &lt;a href=\\&quot;{{src}}\\&quot;&gt; download &lt;\\\/a&gt; and watch with your favorite video player! &lt;\\\/video&gt;&quot;}},&quot;inView&quot;:false,&quot;email_subject&quot;:&quot;Check out this awesome image !!&quot;,&quot;email_message&quot;:&quot;Here is the link to the image : %%image_link%% and this is the link to the gallery : %%gallery_link%%&quot;,&quot;grid_type&quot;:&quot;automatic&quot;,&quot;rowHeight&quot;:250,&quot;lastRow&quot;:&quot;justify&quot;,&quot;lightbox&quot;:&quot;fancybox&quot;,&quot;filterClick&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;dropdownFilters&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;defaultActiveFilter&quot;:&quot;all&quot;,&quot;initLightbox&quot;:&quot;modula_pro_init_lightbox&quot;,&quot;haveFilters&quot;:0,&quot;lightbox_devices&quot;:&quot;both&quot;}\">\n\n\t\n\t<div  class=\"modula-items grid-gallery\">\n\t\t<div class=\"modula-item effect-pufrobo jtg-filter-all jtg-filter-\" >\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-overlay\"><\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-content\">\n\n\t\t<a data-image-id=\"13636\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"jtg-13626\" data-caption=\"&lt;span class=&quot;modula-caption-description&quot;&gt;Dakota Webb-Hawkins \u201926&lt;\/span&gt;\" aria-label=\"Open image in lightbox\" data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/DSWH-J-Term-SG-2-2-150x150.jpg\" class=\"tile-inner modula-item-link\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"pic wp-image-13636\"  data-valign=\"middle\" data-halign=\"center\" alt=\"Dakota Webb-Hawkins \u201926\" data-full=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/DSWH-J-Term-SG-2-2.jpg\" title=\"DSWH J-Term, S&amp;amp;G 2-2\" crop=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/DSWH-J-Term-SG-2-2-200x250.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/DSWH-J-Term-SG-2-2-200x250.jpg\" data-caption=\"Dakota Webb-Hawkins \u201926\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/DSWH-J-Term-SG-2-2.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/DSWH-J-Term-SG-2-2-200x250.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/DSWH-J-Term-SG-2-2-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/DSWH-J-Term-SG-2-2-768x960.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/>\n\t\t<div class=\"figc\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"figc-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"jtg-description\">Dakota Webb-Hawkins \u201926<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><div class=\"modula-item effect-pufrobo jtg-filter-all jtg-filter-\" >\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-overlay\"><\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-content\">\n\n\t\t<a data-image-id=\"13630\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"jtg-13626\" data-caption=\"&lt;span class=&quot;modula-caption-description&quot;&gt;Rachel Hull \u201928&lt;\/span&gt;\" aria-label=\"Open image in lightbox\" data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2644-150x150.jpg\" class=\"tile-inner modula-item-link\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"pic wp-image-13630\"  data-valign=\"middle\" data-halign=\"center\" alt=\"Rachel Hull \u201928\" data-full=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2644.jpg\" title=\"Rachel Hull \u201928\" crop=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2644-200x250.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2644-200x250.jpg\" data-caption=\"Rachel Hull \u201928\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2644.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2644-200x250.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2644-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2644-768x960.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/>\n\t\t<div class=\"figc\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"figc-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"jtg-description\">Rachel Hull \u201928<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><div class=\"modula-item effect-pufrobo jtg-filter-all jtg-filter-\" >\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-overlay\"><\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-content\">\n\n\t\t<a data-image-id=\"13637\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"jtg-13626\" data-caption=\"&lt;span class=&quot;modula-caption-description&quot;&gt;Natalia Chapel \u201928&lt;\/span&gt;\" aria-label=\"Open image in lightbox\" data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_6977-150x150.jpg\" class=\"tile-inner modula-item-link\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"pic wp-image-13637\"  data-valign=\"middle\" data-halign=\"center\" alt=\"Natalia Chapel \u201928\" data-full=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_6977.jpg\" title=\"Natalia Chapel \u201928\" crop=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_6977-200x250.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_6977-200x250.jpg\" data-caption=\"Natalia Chapel \u201928\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_6977.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_6977-200x250.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_6977-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_6977-768x960.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/>\n\t\t<div class=\"figc\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"figc-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"jtg-description\">Natalia Chapel \u201928<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><div class=\"modula-item effect-pufrobo jtg-filter-all jtg-filter-\" >\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-overlay\"><\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-content\">\n\n\t\t<a data-image-id=\"13635\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"jtg-13626\" data-caption=\"&lt;span class=&quot;modula-caption-description&quot;&gt;Holly Hylton \u201926&lt;\/span&gt;\" aria-label=\"Open image in lightbox\" data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/original-28EE5FBD-35B3-4BC9-9365-088D07685767-150x150.jpg\" class=\"tile-inner modula-item-link\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"pic wp-image-13635\"  data-valign=\"middle\" data-halign=\"center\" alt=\"Holly Hylton \u201926\" data-full=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/original-28EE5FBD-35B3-4BC9-9365-088D07685767.jpg\" title=\"Holly Hylton \u201926\" crop=\"\" width=\"188\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/original-28EE5FBD-35B3-4BC9-9365-088D07685767-188x250.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/original-28EE5FBD-35B3-4BC9-9365-088D07685767-188x250.jpg\" data-caption=\"Holly Hylton \u201926\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/original-28EE5FBD-35B3-4BC9-9365-088D07685767.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/original-28EE5FBD-35B3-4BC9-9365-088D07685767-188x250.jpg 188w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/original-28EE5FBD-35B3-4BC9-9365-088D07685767-770x1024.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/original-28EE5FBD-35B3-4BC9-9365-088D07685767-768x1021.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/original-28EE5FBD-35B3-4BC9-9365-088D07685767-1155x1536.jpg 1155w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/original-28EE5FBD-35B3-4BC9-9365-088D07685767-1540x2048.jpg 1540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 188px) 100vw, 188px\" \/>\n\t\t<div class=\"figc\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"figc-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"jtg-description\">Holly Hylton \u201926<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><div class=\"modula-item effect-pufrobo jtg-filter-all jtg-filter-\" >\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-overlay\"><\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-content\">\n\n\t\t<a data-image-id=\"13634\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"jtg-13626\" data-caption=\"&lt;span class=&quot;modula-caption-description&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;\" aria-label=\"Open image in lightbox\" data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a33aa0b6-5751-4fe7-8b6f-00032b4ca507-150x150.jpg\" class=\"tile-inner modula-item-link\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"pic wp-image-13634\"  data-valign=\"middle\" data-halign=\"center\" alt=\"Liah-Rae Tucker \u201928\" data-full=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a33aa0b6-5751-4fe7-8b6f-00032b4ca507.jpg\" title=\"Liah-Rae Tucker \u201928\" crop=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a33aa0b6-5751-4fe7-8b6f-00032b4ca507-200x250.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a33aa0b6-5751-4fe7-8b6f-00032b4ca507-200x250.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a33aa0b6-5751-4fe7-8b6f-00032b4ca507.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a33aa0b6-5751-4fe7-8b6f-00032b4ca507-200x250.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a33aa0b6-5751-4fe7-8b6f-00032b4ca507-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a33aa0b6-5751-4fe7-8b6f-00032b4ca507-768x960.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/>\n\t\t<div class=\"figc no-description\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"figc-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><div class=\"modula-item effect-pufrobo jtg-filter-all jtg-filter-\" >\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-overlay\"><\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-content\">\n\n\t\t<a data-image-id=\"13628\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"jtg-13626\" data-caption=\"&lt;span class=&quot;modula-caption-description&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;\" aria-label=\"Open image in lightbox\" data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_9198-150x150.jpg\" class=\"tile-inner modula-item-link\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"pic wp-image-13628\"  data-valign=\"middle\" data-halign=\"center\" alt=\"Vanna Schickling \u201926\" data-full=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_9198.jpg\" title=\"Vanna Schickling \u201926\" crop=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_9198-200x250.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_9198-200x250.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_9198.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_9198-200x250.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_9198-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_9198-768x960.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/>\n\t\t<div class=\"figc no-description\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"figc-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><div class=\"modula-item effect-pufrobo jtg-filter-all jtg-filter-\" >\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-overlay\"><\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-content\">\n\n\t\t<a data-image-id=\"13629\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"jtg-13626\" data-caption=\"&lt;span class=&quot;modula-caption-description&quot;&gt;Anna Woods \u201926&lt;\/span&gt;\" aria-label=\"Open image in lightbox\" data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GainsboroLibraryAnnaWoods-4-150x150.jpg\" class=\"tile-inner modula-item-link\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"pic wp-image-13629\"  data-valign=\"middle\" data-halign=\"center\" alt=\"Anna Woods \u201926\" data-full=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GainsboroLibraryAnnaWoods-4.jpg\" title=\"Anna Woods \u201926\" crop=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"167\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GainsboroLibraryAnnaWoods-4-250x167.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GainsboroLibraryAnnaWoods-4-250x167.jpg\" data-caption=\"Anna Woods \u201926\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GainsboroLibraryAnnaWoods-4-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GainsboroLibraryAnnaWoods-4-scaled-250x167.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GainsboroLibraryAnnaWoods-4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GainsboroLibraryAnnaWoods-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GainsboroLibraryAnnaWoods-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/>\n\t\t<div class=\"figc\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"figc-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"jtg-description\">Anna Woods \u201926<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><div class=\"modula-item effect-pufrobo jtg-filter-all jtg-filter-\" >\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-overlay\"><\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-content\">\n\n\t\t<a data-image-id=\"13633\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"jtg-13626\" data-caption=\"&lt;span class=&quot;modula-caption-description&quot;&gt;Melanie Stevenson \u201928&lt;\/span&gt;\" aria-label=\"Open image in lightbox\" data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1000008943-150x150.jpg\" class=\"tile-inner modula-item-link\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"pic wp-image-13633\"  data-valign=\"middle\" data-halign=\"center\" alt=\"Melanie Stevenson \u201928\" data-full=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1000008943.jpg\" title=\"Melanie Stevenson \u201928\" crop=\"\" width=\"141\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1000008943-141x250.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1000008943-141x250.jpg\" data-caption=\"Melanie Stevenson \u201928\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1000008943-scaled.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1000008943-scaled-141x250.jpg 141w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1000008943-576x1024.jpg 576w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1000008943-768x1365.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1000008943-864x1536.jpg 864w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1000008943-1152x2048.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 141px) 100vw, 141px\" \/>\n\t\t<div class=\"figc\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"figc-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"jtg-description\">Melanie Stevenson \u201928<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><div class=\"modula-item effect-pufrobo jtg-filter-all jtg-filter-\" >\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-overlay\"><\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-content\">\n\n\t\t<a data-image-id=\"13627\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"jtg-13626\" data-caption=\"&lt;span class=&quot;modula-caption-description&quot;&gt;Jessy Herrera \u201928&lt;\/span&gt;\" aria-label=\"Open image in lightbox\" data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jesse-Herrera-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"tile-inner modula-item-link\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"pic wp-image-13627\"  data-valign=\"middle\" data-halign=\"center\" alt=\"Jessy Herrera \u201928\" data-full=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jesse-Herrera-1.jpg\" title=\"Jessy Herrera \u201928\" crop=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"160\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jesse-Herrera-1-250x160.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jesse-Herrera-1-250x160.jpg\" data-caption=\"Jessy Herrera \u201928\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jesse-Herrera-1.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jesse-Herrera-1-250x160.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jesse-Herrera-1-1024x654.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jesse-Herrera-1-768x491.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/>\n\t\t<div class=\"figc\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"figc-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"jtg-description\">Jessy Herrera \u201928<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><div class=\"modula-item effect-pufrobo jtg-filter-all jtg-filter-\" >\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-overlay\"><\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-content\">\n\n\t\t<a data-image-id=\"13631\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"jtg-13626\" data-caption=\"&lt;span class=&quot;modula-caption-description&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt;\" aria-label=\"Open image in lightbox\" data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260122_155352-2-150x150.jpg\" class=\"tile-inner modula-item-link\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"pic wp-image-13631\"  data-valign=\"middle\" data-halign=\"center\" alt=\"Rachel Cantwell \u201928\" data-full=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260122_155352-2.jpg\" title=\"Rachel Cantwell \u201928\" crop=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260122_155352-2-200x250.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260122_155352-2-200x250.jpg\" data-caption=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260122_155352-2.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260122_155352-2-200x250.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260122_155352-2-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260122_155352-2-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260122_155352-2-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260122_155352-2-1638x2048.jpg 1638w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/>\n\t\t<div class=\"figc no-description\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"figc-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t\n\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n\t{\n\t\t\"@context\": \"http:\/\/schema.org\",\n\t\t\"@type\"   : \"ImageGallery\",\n\t\t\"id\"      : \"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/how-j-term-transforms-students\/\",\n\t\t\"url\"     : \"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/how-j-term-transforms-students\/\"\n\t}\n\n\t<\/script>\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Other students ventured off campus into Hollins\u2019 surrounding jurisdictions. According to Associate Director of Career and Life Design Amber Becke, of the 80 students who interned in the Roanoke Valley, about half participated in programming through Hollins\u2019 Career and Life Design (CLD). The rest secured internships on their own.<\/p>\n<p>For Taryn Shover \u201926, a creative writing major with film and business minors, that initiative led to an internship with Boyd-Pearman Photography, a photo and video production company based in Roanoke.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI applied to so many other internships that I didn\u2019t get, but you always end up where you\u2019re supposed to be,\u201d she said. \u201cDon\u2019t close the doors just because you think they won\u2019t open.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kenidee Rabenstein \u201926 interned with CLD under Becke and CLD Director Blair Celli. T he experience opened the psychology major\u2019s eyes to other potential post-grad paths.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of pressure to go into high-stakes psychology fields, like therapy or psychiatry. I never really felt like I fit into one of those things,\u201d Rabenstein said. \u201cBut this internship has shown me that I can go into something like career counseling and still help people without it being a life-or-death scenario.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Anna Woods \u201926 interned with Roanoke Public Libraries, digitizing and indexing a collection of about 700 artistic works by Dave Ramsey that documented Roanoke\u2019s historic Gainsboro neighborhood before urban renewal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was my first time working with libraries,\u201d the art history major said. \u201cI\u2019ve done past internships in museums, and as much as I love them, I\u2019ve decided to consider other career paths, broaden my horizons, and see if I can work with libraries or archives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>J-Term experiences encourage discovery. Students studying abroad, through global partner programs or faculty-led trips, reported increased self-confidence and pride in newfound knowledge.<\/p>\n<p>Holly Hylton \u201926, an environmental science major, traveled with Director and Professor of Environmental Studies Renee Godard to Ecuador to explore the biodiversity of the Andes and the Amazon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe constantly found new species previous Hollins J-terms didn\u2019t find,\u201d she said. \u201cThis study abroad experience has made me more confident in conducting research and collecting data, and overall, more comfortable with independent travel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Natalia Chapel \u201928 studied French language and culture in Tours, France through l\u2019Institut de Touraine. The English and vocal performance Anna Woods \u201926 Jessy Herrera \u201928 major said she had studied the language for about seven years, and her time in Tours was just the challenge she needed to improve.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had always undermined my own French skills out of self-consciousness, but I actively navigated French cities and had conversations in French on my own,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_13640\" style=\"width: 260px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13640\" class=\"wp-image-13640 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_7071-Lindsey-1-250x188.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"188\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_7071-Lindsey-1-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_7071-Lindsey-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_7071-Lindsey-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_7071-Lindsey-1.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13640\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">President Mary Dana Hinton joined students in Kenya for shared learning and meaningful connection.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In Nairobi, Kenya, Chair and Assistant Professor of Public Health Abubakarr Jalloh and Professor and Chair of Gender &amp; Women\u2019s Studies Lindsey Breitwieser led students through discussions about healthcare needs, access, and medical practice as they explored social, scientific, and juridical influences on sexual and reproductive life.<\/p>\n<p>On the third day of their trip, President Mary Dana Hinton surprised students on their way to the market. She accompanied them for three days, joining them in the classroom and visiting with administrators of Kenyatta University, Hollins\u2019 partner institution in Nairobi.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo be a part of the class was to be a part of a family,\u201d Hinton shared in a blog post. To the students, she said, \u201cIn our brief time together, I observed your growth, your deep humanity and care, and your leadership. &#8230; For 72 hours, we laughed together, danced together, and gasped together. You were the midwives to my rebirth and African naming, Nalika. But most of all, we allowed ourselves to love one another.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>January Term is one of the most intentionally designed opportunities in Hollins\u2019 academic calendar for student transformation. The one-month term between fall and spring semesters offers students opportunities to stay on campus or venture away; to take up independent research [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":13621,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[147],"class_list":["post-13620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in_the_loop","tag-spring-2026"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13620"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13620\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13711,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13620\/revisions\/13711"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}