Senior Spotlight: Mollie Trainum

Mollie Trainum.

Mollie Trainum, 2018.

This week’s senior spotlight is on Mollie Trainum. Despite looking at a few larger schools, Regent University was the only school to which Mollie applied. She found Regent the summer before her senior year and originally planned to major in psychology. After her first semester, however, God pushed her to study communications. After three years, Mollie is graduating with her communications degree and minors in psychology and biblical studies.

On top of her studies, Mollie’s heart for God and other people led her to serve in Campus Ministries (CM) every year. She began as an apprentice her freshman year, became a Life Group leader (LGL) last year, and served as a Life Group captain senior year. Mollie’s time with CM allowed her to inspire and connect with her community through the Word of God. She enjoyed the experiences working with CM gave her, from teaching girls on her hall to organizing events with her LGLs. She noted that she “did not expect to find the friends [she] did.” Mollie is the kind of woman who really cherishes her friendships, even when they come as a bit of a surprise. She said that CM led her “to connect with so many people [she] would not have otherwise known.” Her time with CM allowed her to inspire other strong women of God.

Mollie Trainum, 2017. (Olivia Shedd)

Mollie Trainum, 2017. (Olivia Shedd)

Mollie described her major as “practical.” She said, “We need to communicate effectively in both our personal and professional life,” which is an extremely true statement. She plans to use her degree to help her in her pursuit of ministry for God’s Kingdom. Her goal is to be ordained as a deacon for the United Methodist Church and do full-time ministry. She stated, “Communication and relational skills are vital to ministry, and my biblical studies minor probably won’t hurt either.” This summer she will continue to work towards her goal by serving in her church back home. She and a friend will be starting a small group for college students in her hometown. She told the Daily Runner that she is moving to Richmond in August to pursue her Masters in Divinity at Union Presbyterian Seminary.

Mollie is one of those people who truly cherishes every moment. She took up photography as a hobby during her junior year but quickly developed skill in the art. She now runs a photography business, shooting everything from headshots to weddings, and is overjoyed “to witness such important moments in people’s lives.” Over her time at Regent, Mollie learned and grew through every facet of her community. She said she learned “by listening to the perspectives of all the people [she] met, by trying new things, by reading, and by just experiencing life.” She told the Daily Runner, “I think I learned to be more bold, even when the situation is uncertain.”

Even as she faces many changes in her life, Mollie’s advice to rising seniors is this: “Savor this time but also don’t be afraid to keep trying new things. Don’t settle into complacency: keep learning, keep reaching out to people. You’re near the end, but that doesn’t mean you should give up. If anything, now is the time to really push forward.”



 

Amy Armstrong is a contributor to the Daily Runner.