Molly Cullum: Star Wars, Reading, and Memories

Molly Cullum lives in southern Wisconsin and have lived in the same house since she was born. She has five older siblings, and they all took classes at TPS. She graduated from TPS in 2023, and currently studies in a local branch of the University of Wisconsin. She hasn’t decided to study what major yet, but recently has developed some interest in psychology. Her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy novels), drawing people, baking, and hanging out with her siblings. She is also a Star Wars fan. Let’s meet her!

Christi: Hi Molly!

Molly: Hi Christi!

Christi: You are a Star Wars fan, right? So which character is your favorite? And which episode is your favorite?

Molly: Oh boy, I don’t know if I can pick just one favorite character! Sabine from Rebels, Revan from Knights of the Old Republic, and Bo-Katan from Clone Wars are a handful of my favorites. As for favorite movie, either Rogue One or The Last Jedi. Episode 8 is really nostalgic for me as it was the first Star Wars movie I saw in theaters.

Christi: Interesting! What is your favorite book?

Molly: Once again, I don’t just have one favorite. My favorite books, right now, are Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere books, the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo, the Skyward series also by Brandon Sanderson, and Harry Potter. I also like individual novels like Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Christi: Do you like discussing books, TV shows, and movies with others?

Molly: Definitely. I enjoy friendly discussions about them with my older siblings, I really love analyzing the themes in different creative works, the characters, etc.

Christi: Through your answers, I can definitely feel your passion for movies and books. Can you share some interesting facts about yourself?

Molly: I’m the youngest in my family, and at 5’3”, I’m the shortest of my siblings. I work as a shelver at my local library, and I tend to check out more books than I can realistically read before the due date. Three of my pets are named after characters from the King Arthur legends/BBC Merlin – Lancelot, Morgana, and Guinevere. I read a 1,000+ page book in one week this past semester, though I didn’t get enough sleep that week. And lastly, I’ve always wanted pink hair, so this winter break I finally got mine dyed with pink highlights!

Christi: Wow, that is so cool! What do you wish you had done while you were a student back in high school?

Molly: Mainly, I wish I had stressed less about getting perfect grades, and understood that my worth didn’t come from getting A on everything.

Christi: Any impressive memories in TPS?

Molly: The Classes with Mrs. Selby and Mrs. Yagel immediately come to mind. They were so fun and made class time really entertaining. My physical science class with Mrs. Selby had a running joke that I had stolen her textbook and then dropped it off a building onto my classmates’ heads to test how fast it fell, and then dropped them off a cliff to test the theory of relativity. I also have very fond memories of meeting various TPSers through Forum who remain friends to this day – as well as meeting quite a few in person at camp this summer. TPS camp was amazing, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to meet my friends and graduate with the wonderful Class of 2023.

Christi: Which course in TPS do you think is helpful to you?

Molly: I learned a lot in all of my TPS classes, but English classes were my favorites, and my writing improved so much through them! I especially enjoyed advanced comp with Mrs. Yagel. She is very kind and very fun, and her teaching and feedback really helped me to grow over the year. It’s a course I would definitely recommend to any TPSer!

Christi: What advice would you give to younger students?

Molly: I have five advices. 1. School is important, but it is not everything. Don’t stress too much about getting a bad grade on something. 2. If you’re struggling with your mental health, please, please tell someone. Things will get better, even if you can’t imagine it right now. 3. If you want to be friends with someone, talk to them! 4. Remember that you don’t have to follow exactly in the footsteps of your parents or siblings. It is okay to be a little different. 5. Prayer is very important, and it does not have to sound like the “fancy” prayers you might hear at church. Just tell everything and your feels to God as you lay in bed at night. You are so loved, friends, and I truly hope you believe it.

Christi: Thank you so much, Molly. Your advice is very instructive.