Name: Molly Cardenas

Year: 4th Year

Major: Youth & Social Innovation

Hometown: Roanoke, Virginia

1.    What brought you to the Women's Center?
Initially for the counseling resources, but I am interested in entering a profession after graduation that helps specifically adolescents (possibly social work or school counselor), so the Women’s Center was a great way for me to get introduced to the field of helping young women explore who they are!

2.    If you could describe YWLP in 3 words, how would you describe it?
Friendship, Fun, and Female!

3.    What other organizations are you involved with at UVA?
WXTJ Student Radio, Phi Sigma Pi Honor Fraternity, College Mentors, Veggies of Virginia, & Take Back the Night.

4.    How has a mentor impacted you?
Mentoring has introduced me to greater Charlottesville community and allowed me to build connections, as well as gain meaningful relationships. Through mentoring, I was able to not only help an adolescent discover who she is, but I was also able to discover my own values and interests. I was also able to build on skills such as listening, patience, and self-care which has helped me grow as an individual.

5.    If you could choose anyone, who would you choose to be your mentor?
If I could choose anyone, I would choose my grandmother as my mentor. Although she is no longer apart of this universe, she always had a smile on her face and was mindful of all the beautiful things in life. Whenever I think of her, I am reminded to enjoy the little things that the world has to offer us each day, as she did when she was alive. I would want her to be my mentor because she was always so positive, uplifting, and took everything one moment at a time which is so important to living a fulfilling life.

6.    What would you most like to tell your 13 year old self?
If I was able to tell my 13 year old self anything, I would tell her to enjoy her youth instead of getting caught up in the inevitable drama that adolescents face. Although it is a confusing time, being 13 is such a special age and is truly so young, although many 13 year olds feel mature. The older I get and as time changes things, the more I realize how much I wish I appreciated life and the relationships I had when I was younger.