Jessica Molloy
2019 - 2020
La Vega, Dominican Republic
New Hope Girls - Rescue & Refuge in the Dominican Republic
Jessica Molloy (2019-2020: La Vega, Dominican Republic) will work as a certified teacher for girls in transitional care at sponsoring organization New Hope Girls Safe House. She will teach reading and literacy skills in both Spanish and in English.
Holaaaa me llamo Jess!
I just graduated from Belmont University in May receiving a degree in Elementary Education and a degree in Christian Leadership. Although I have moved around in my childhood to seven states, I am most recently from Birmingham, Alabama. I do love the south but ready to go further south to the Caribbean!
At the end of June, I will be traveling to La Vega, Dominican Republic to work with the non-profit organization, New Hope Girls for a year. At New Hope, their vision is to create a refuge of light and life for girls and women from dark, difficult places and restoring identity and purpose for their future. My role at New Hope is the teacher for the girls in transitional care.
These girls have just arrived to the safe house and their cases are still being litigated so they are not in the school system yet so in order for them not to regress in their academics, I will be their teacher during this time.
New Hope lines up with everything that I believe to be true. I believe that there is healing in community, that there is healing in love, that there is healing in empowerment, and that there is healing in justice. I am incredibly passionate about social justice including but not limited to women’s rights, immigration, education equality and being an advocate for those that have been silenced. At Belmont, my passion for humanity grew through my studies in the theology and education departments. I was able to student teach Kindergarten and 5th grade in the Metro Nashville Public Schools where I probably learned more about myself than the students learned from me. Education is at the root of so many opportunities in this world and I believe everyone deserves that opportunity of education no matter where they are from, the language they speak, the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, or their economic status. I am just the facilitator of giving that education right to students.
I am so excited to speak about my journey this next year and am happy that you are here to read about it! 🙂
Te quiero,
Jess
More about me....
Home Town: Birmingham, AL
Major(s): Elementary Education
My Stories
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final report
It’s never fun to be denied. Whenever we put ourselves out there, there’s always a chance that we could be denied. It seems
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something familiar
You know in life people say that they are starting a new chapter. Although I am in a new chapter of my life,
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it’s ok
Two days ago, I turned 23 years old. My birthday looked a little different this year, as did many others’ birthdays, I’m sure.
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i could have
I could have…I could have… I could have… This has been the line that goes through my head several times a day. This
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upside down
Life feels upside down right now. A week and a half ago, I was evacuated from the Dominican because of COVID-19 and the
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outside looking in
The first week of March, I had the opportunity to step outside of the space of the safe house, La Vega, and the
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the greatest of these
I love you, Miss Jessica I write this at the end of my morning message each day for my four girls in class.
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magnitude
I was asked the other day what I had learned from this year and of course I was on camera and totally froze
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home
Well here we are again after a bit of a break. A restful, yet chaotic break back home. While at home, I was
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stop and go
Took the bus to the capitol today. For those who have been in Santo Domingo know that the traffic is the absolute worst
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heart bandaids
When I was little, bandaids were my favorite. They magically healed every boo-boo and they even had my favorite cartoons on them. Bandaids
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stop and sit awhile
The other day I was headed out for my run in the morning at the stadium near my house. I love running. I
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Hola Papa Dios
“Hola Papa Dios” – “Hey Papa God” Words from our four year old to start off a prayer. It was just like any
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step by step
She is raw and restless but she has received her rescue. She is safe and that is what matters most. This is what
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some days
Some days we run. Some days we walk. Some days we crawl. Some days we sing. Some days we cry. Some days we
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in a different light
Super real post, get ready. I was honestly just waiting for the tearful, beautiful, difficult, frustrating, joyful, laughable week to arrive and here
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Lionesses
I HAVE A ROUTINE NOW! …it will probably change knowing Dominican culture and just the ins and outs of working in a non-profit,
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Dominican Wal-Mart, I love you
Well, almost two weeks down. I think I have each of the girls’ names memorized, all my pictures up in my room, wifi
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Bienvenidos!!
Well here we are. Welcome!!! Or shall I say, Bienvenidos a mi blog! My name is Jessica Molloy and I just graduated from
