ABOUT MOLLY
Molly Gleydura is from Cleveland, Ohio, and recently graduated from Oberlin College. She earned a double major in Psychology and French with an Education Studies Concentration. She was an Oberlin Stamps Scholar. Molly loves to learn and is grateful for all of the opportunities that have been presented to her. She is passionate about service in many forms and working with children going through challenging times. After completing her studies at Oberlin, she is embarking on T.J. Watson Fellowship to learn how best to support individuals before, during, and after the loss of a child. In the future, she would love to be working for an organization with strong guiding moral principles, values, and mission statements. One way that she can envision this manifesting itself is through a career as a child life specialist in a hospital setting, working to reduce stress and anxiety for children and families facing new diagnoses and upcoming procedures, particularly those facing terminal illness and bereavement.
Oberlin College
Aug. 2018- Present
Interested in studying Psychology, French, and Photography.
Oberlin College
August 2018-January 2022
Majors: Psychology, French Concentration: Education Studies GPA: 4.10
Honors: Stamps Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa Society, TJ Watson Fellowship Nominee and Awardee, Fulbright Research Grant Awardee (declined)
Graduated a semester early
Hathaway Brown School
2009-2018
Special Programs: Global Scholars, Science Research & Engineering Program, Speech & Debate, Varsity Softball, Photography, News Media & Literacy, Writing Community
University of California Santa Barbara Extension Program
Fall 2020
Courses: Child Life – Introduction to Theory and Practice; Therapeutic Role of Play in Pediatric Care; Death, Dying, and Grief in Pediatric Care; Family Systems – Child, Family, and Community GPA: 4.0+
My Fellowships
T.J. Watson Fellowship
New Zealand, Chile, Senegal, Kuwait, Belgium, Ireland
2022-2023
Every day 15,000 children die globally (more if you count prenatal deaths) thrusting parents into a process of coping with immediate and long-term effects. All cultures have ritualized customs for dealing with this process, conceptions of the deceased, and barriers for grieving. Working with palliative care teams, researchers, community organizations, counselors, and hospitals I seek to understand mourning across cultures and uncover strategies, tools, and resources to assist families with the process.
My Experience
Connecticut Children's Medical Center Child Life Practicum Student
2022
Primarily observed a Certified Child Life Specialist in a Hematology/Oncology clinic, with experiences shadowing Certified Child Life Specialists throughout the hospital (day surgery, inpatient units, sedation, radiology, and behavioral health unit). Had various opportunities to facilitate play sessions, lead virtual art groups, and assess coping and development of patients of all ages and developmental levels at all stages of disease trajectory. Participated in bi-weekly supervision and collaborated with team members of various disciplines within the hospital setting.
Volunteer with Get Your Play On(Line)
2021-2022
Designed and implemented developmentally appropriate digital content for preschool through adolescent age children.
Oberlin Admissions Office Senior and Admissions Fellow
2021-2022
Led hour-long information sessions to prospective students and families. Served as a knowledgeable student resource about the value of an Oberlin education and our academic and social programs. Acted as a point-person for admissions visitors in-person, by phone, and via email. Assisted with interviews, recruiting and yield programs, and admissions decisions.
Oberlin Admissions Office Senior Fellow
2021-Present
Lead hour-long information sessions to prospective students and families. Serve as a knowledgeable student resource about the value of an Oberlin education and our academic and social programs. Act as a point-person for admissions visitors in-person, by phone, and via email.
Teaching Assistant in Social Psychology
2021
Collaborated with Dr. Cindy Frantz to develop new curriculum components and assessments for the Social Psychology course at Oberlin. Aided student understanding and assisted in the implementation of evidence-based pedagogical practices.
Nanny for Type 1 Diabetic Child
2020-2021
Provided regular childcare, medical care, and academic support for 8-year-old. Facilitated educational activities.
Journal of Adolescence Remote Media Intern
2020-2022
Summarized, reported, and distilled information from psychological articles into graphic posts on social media for teens, parents, and social workers.
Oberlin Student Cooperative Association Operations Manager
2020
Manage all aspects of dining operations for Oberlin Student Cooperative Association, an all student-run housing and dining option at Oberlin College. Coordinate with Oberlin College facilities, oversee the work of over 500 workers, maintain proper functioning of equipment and commercial kitchens.
Winter Term Project: Laura's Home Crisis Center Volunteer
2020
Built preschool readiness with Laura’s Home, a women’s crisis center in Cleveland, Ohio. Served as a teacher in the toddler room. Enforced pro-social behavior and helped the children build good interpersonal skills. Wrote a children’s story to promote effective coping skills for children in similar situations and young trauma survivors.
AmericaReads and AmericaCounts Tutor
2019-2020
Prepared and taught lessons on math and reading to elementary school students in the Oberlin School District in Oberlin, Ohio. Facilitated activities and curriculum support for whole-class sessions, small group meetings, and one-on-one tutoring.
Winter Term Project: The Stories Behind Photography
2019
Assisted 3 photographers over the course of the month of January to learn what it means to be a professional photographer. Helped with editing, set up, clean up, interaction with clients, social media presence, and other related activities in the studio. Documented experience as a journalistic essay.
Oberlin Admissions Office Student Tour Guide
2019-2022
Encouraged interest in Oberlin College and Conservatory through informing prospective students and their families about the programs, opportunities, and experiences unique to Oberlin. Led tours of the campus, sat on admissions panels, and served as a resource for interested students.
Oberlin Early Childhood Classroom Assistant
2018-2020
Care for 6 children in the infant room through helping with feedings, facilitating play, and cleaning common areas for 3-6 hours a week.
Oberlin Tank Co-op Food Safety and Nutrition Coordinator
2018-2019
Directed all food-safety related concerns in the 80-person co-operative. Ensured proper board of health procedure to prevent food-borne illnesses. Served as support to membership for maintaining physical health and safety. Communicated about dietary restrictions and increased awareness about common allergens and cross-contamination.
Clara Barton Camp Counselor
Summer 2018
Worked as an overnight summer camp counselor for 9 weeks at Barton Diabetes Center in North Oxford, Massachusetts. Helped orchestrate daily activities for girls ages 6-16, including active and less-active games and programs. Also oversaw diabetes management for the girls in each of my cabins, being there to assist in counting carbohydrates, calculating insulin doses, advising food choices to ensure a balanced meal, and treating low blood sugars. Aided girls in devising and updating strategies for emotional management and coping with Type 1 Diabetes, a chronic illness.
Clara Barton Camp Counselor and Health Care Counselor
Summer 2018, 2019
Overnight summer camp counselor for 9 weeks at Barton Diabetes Center in North Oxford, Massachusetts. Orchestrated daily activities for girls ages 6-16. Oversaw diabetes management for the campers, including devising and updating strategies for emotional coping with Type 1 Diabetes. Calculated and helped administer insulin, assisted routine daily medical care.
Early Childhood Global Scholars Teacher
2016-2017
Taught preschool-aged students about the culture of the African country of Cameroun, through various storytelling techniques including drafting characters, researching everyday life, and practicing skills to educate children in early development programs.
HathCaff Director of HR, Catering and Events
2016-2018
2016-17: Hired and trained all working baristas and dealt with all employee interactions and interpersonal conflicts. Organized and maintained weekly shift schedules. Planned and ran bi-weekly staff meetings. 2017-18: Advertised the catering branch of the business via email, flies, social media, and word-of-mouth. Coordinated with baristas, set up each event, and worked with clients to ensure satisfaction.
Art Director for a Children’s Story Book
2017
Transformed photographs into usable book images. Discussed and modified the photos based on the need of the author, possible printers, and technological constraints.
Broad Horizons Shepherd
Summer 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Worked as a key member of a four-person shepherd team in 2016 and 2017, teaching three-year-old girls and boys, as well as designing/planning activities, stories, and games for the students. Solely supervised a group of 15 third-grade students throughout the 2015 summer months, coordinating activities, ensuring well-being, and creating a safe and fun day camp experience. Worked as a member of a four-person shepherd team in 2014, teaching four-year-old girls and boys.
Crêpes for Cameroun Leader
2012-2017
Founded a unique fundraising operation to assist French-speaking students in the Western African country of Cameroun. On four separate occasions, baked crêpes and several other pastries by hand and sold them at Hathaway Brown School. All proceeds, which totaled more than $1,000 US, were sent to aid the students in Cameroun. The monies were used to purchase school supplies for an entire village, to set up an after-school program, and to send 20 girls to a literacy club.
Research Work
Research Assistant on Continuity of Close Relationships Project
2021-2022
Evaluated the behavioral and attachment continuity of adolescents and determined if these are more influenced by parents, peers, or romantic partners under the guidance of Dr. Nancy Darling.
Research Assistant in Social and Environmental Psychology
2020
Evaluate validity of structures measuring systems thinking. Design survey to analyze impact of education on belief of environmental interrelatedness under the guidance of Cindy Frantz and John Peterson. Consult on projects concerning shower length, resource usage, and sustainable practices.
Researcher on 19th Century French Prostitution
2020
Investigative work with Libby Murphy and Greggor Mattson on the social and legal implications of being a prostitute in France during the 19th century. Transcribe and translate passages from literary texts, police archive documents, and On Prostitution in the City of Paris by Parent-Duchâtelet. Analyze art and text to describe the state of the class of unregistered prostitutes.
Researcher on Impact of Listing Pronouns in Emails
2020
Work under PhD candidate, Joel Ginn, to determine the impact this has on feelings of inclusivity both for gender non- conforming people and gender-conforming people. Manage 40+ research participants. Coordinate and work with a second researcher to set schedules, collect data, and communicate with participants.
Research Assistant Evaluating Education Programming
2019
Chosen by Hathaway Brown administrators and Cindy Frantz to analyze data from survey examining the effectiveness of various education programming at Hathaway Brown School due to success at the school, motivation, and ability to quickly acquire the necessary research skills.
Student Researcher in a Lab at Case Western Reserve University
2016-2018
Conducted research in a lab in the Department of Macromolecular Engineering. Assisted on a project for NASA to synthesize and test the structural integrity of a unique polymer to protect astronauts from the harmful radiation of ultra-high energy intergalactic cosmic rays and serves a potential construction material for the space station on the moon under Dr. Hatsuo Ishida.
Publications and Presentations
Presentation
Presented at NEOvations Bench to Bedside Competition as part of the team representing 1step2life, an app for adolescents in chronic pain and their parents.
Participated at an International Polymer Conference in March 2018 for my work as a student researcher at Case Western Reserve
Publication
Iguchi, D., Ohashi, S., Abarro, G., Yin, X., Winroth, S., Scott, C., Gleydura, M., Jin, L., Kanagasegar, N., Lo, C., Arza, C. R., Froimowicz, P., & Ishida, H. (2018). Development of Hydrogen-Rich Benzoxazine Resins with Low Polymerization Temperature for Space Radiation Shielding. ACS omega, 3(9), 11569–11581. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.8b01297
Awards
2022
Awarded the T.J. Watson Fellowship to study child loss, bereavement, and supports for families internationally.
Awarded a Fulbright Research Grant in Luxembourg, which I turned down in favor of the T.J. Watson Fellowship.
Phi Beta Kappa Society
Became a Certified End-of-Life Doula
2021
Selected as Oberlin nominee for the T.J. Watson Fellowship; Continued role as Oberlin Stamps Scholar Board Representative
2020
Awarded Michel Guggenheim full-tuition scholarship to the Institut d’Avignon (canceled in 2020, 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic); Named Oberlin Stamps Scholar Board Representative for 2020-2021 academic year
2018
Speech & Debate– Declamation State Competition Quarter Finalist, Various placements in regular season tournaments; Participated at an International Polymer Conference in March 2018 for my work as a student researcher at Case Western Reserve; Co-Authored paper published in ACS Omega titled "Development of Hydrogen-rich Benzoxazine Resins with Low Polymerization Temperature for Space Radiation Shielding"; Scholastics Writing Awards Silver Key and Honorable Mention; Scholastics Art Award Silver Key; Cum Laude Inductee; Oberlin Stamps Scholar; Softball Varsity Letter and Team Captain
2017
Speech & Debate– Declamation State Competition Qualifier, Various placements in regular season tournaments; Chosen to present at an International Polymer Conference in March 2018 for my work as a student researcher at Case Western Reserve, NASA Material Science Award; 2nd place in The City Club’s Hope and Stanley Adelstein Free Speech Essay Contest; High Honors in School with a cumulative GPA of 4.31; Softball Varsity Letter and Team Captain
2016
Speech & Debate – Declamation State Competition Qualifier, Various placements in regular season tournaments; High Honors in School with a cumulative GPA of 4.3; Scholastics Writing Award Honorable Mention; Scholastics Art Awards Gold and Silver Key, Four-year scholarship awarded for winning piece; Softball Varsity Letter
2015
Speech & Debate – Oral Interpretation State Competition Qualifier, Various placements in regular season tournaments; The City Club of Cleveland’s Hope and Stanley Adelstein Free Speech Essay Top 20 Finalist; High Honors in School with a cumulative GPA of 4.20; Softball Varsity Letter