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Molly Malick (BA 25)

My name is Molly Malick, and I’m a senior English major and French minor. I began at ������ in the fall of 2021 to earn my associate degree in liberal arts through the College Launch program. I had just moved from Southern California to Northern Indiana that spring. After earning my associate degree in 2023, I decided to come back to ������that fall to obtain my bachelor’s. 

I could talk for hours about all the knowledge I obtained from the professors and students alike here at Grace. Specifically, the English department provided pillars of support and encouragement for me.

But the relationships that have impacted me the most at ������are the friendships I’ve made. The key lesson I learned from my all-girl friend group, albeit horridly cliché, is that home is not a place, but people. Moving to Indiana forced me to leave my community behind and build a new one. 

The move spurred familial related struggles, and though I had relatives here — notably my mom, who truly is my best friend — I struggled to find close friends I could rely on for the first couple months at Grace. 

However, after attending campus activities, I met several young women with whom I connected. Although I had seen a few of them before, it took a mutual friend to introduce us. Soon after, I met some other friends of theirs, and the six of us quickly grew close. 

We’d go on walks through our favorite Winona Lake trails and spend afternoons in our hammocks, talking about everything and nothing. In the evening, we’d have ‘study dates’ and try to work together, but with so many topics to cover, we weren’t always the most productive. During our freshman year, we spent hours in the 3D printing room crafting green frogs to add to our collections. Bonding with these young ladies helped me find solace and make a home out of an unfamiliar place.

I thank God for all of the scrapbook-worthy moments He’s blessed us with throughout our friendship. Since we met, we’ve done nearly everything together. We’ve planned birthdays for each other, helped one another through challenges, and spent countless nights staying up late laughing. Even though they’ve graduated, we all remain close and continue to spend most weekends together, if not many evenings during the week as well.

One of my most cherished memories with my friends was my 20th birthday party, held at my friend’s house. Everyone helped set the table, line the trees with lights, and put blankets on the grass, right under the disco ball hanging above our heads. The friend who hosted the party even made sunglasses with charm bracelet letters spelling out “Birthday Girl” for me to wear. I felt so loved that night under the stars.

I know God planned for our paths to cross when we needed it most. In fact, one of those girls grew up 8 minutes from my grandparents’ house in Goshen, Indiana, where I lived for a few months. And another, who grew up in Colorado, lived a couple of towns over from the one I did for 2 years as a child. 

These connections may lie in the fact that, maybe it really is just a small world, but I like to think God knew we’d be important to each other one day and planned for us to meet that afternoon, piled around a too-small table playing games. And for that, I’m thankful to ������. God has used this institution to bless me with so much more than academic achievement — He used it to give me true friendships. 

Here at Grace, a strong, genuine community is a foundational part of campus life. Discover more ways to get involved with clubs and events and build connections that turn friendships into family.