Molly Mahon, La Salle University
Molly Mahon, a junior nursing major at La Salle University, is a student leader active in issues of social justice. Molly came to La Salle with an impressive history of service, and has expanded on that during her time at La Salle. As a freshman, Molly began working with Pheed Philadelphia, a service and social justice organization which focuses on addressing hunger and homelessness in our city. Later coordinating that program, Molly has worked to identify new partners in service and create awareness opportunities for campus about issues of hunger and food insecurity. Molly also has coordinated two international service trips, to schools in Kenya and Haiti. As the coordinator for the University’s inaugural trip to Haiti, she has completely developed the program, identifying partners and planning the itinerary. Molly actively encourages members of the La Salle community to become aware and involved in issues of social and economic justice, both locally and globally.
-James Gallagher, Interim President
Growing up, I never viewed my involvement in the community as a burden or a taxing requirement; I simply saw it as something that needed to be done and recognized how fortunate I was to have such a passion for doing it. This passion has led me from local soup kitchens where I have formed lasting relationships, to the slums of Kenya and the tent cities of Haiti where my global perspective of civic engagement was form and cultivated. It has placed me in the position of advocacy and forced me to ask the difficult questions, to shed light on the root causes of why the same people needed to utilize the soup kitchen each week. There is a belief that community service helps those in need, a common misconception that those serving are free from any needs. However, that is not the case. Civic engagement and working in communities requires teamwork and human interaction. It is the commitment and mutual respect that we share with one another to promote equality and the greater good. This is why I have this passion—to create a better and more just society.
-Molly Mahon
