Article by Phoenix writer Mika Accardi ’25:
On Wednesday, October 9, ten Kellenberg seniors had the opportunity to visit Molloy University for Molloy’s annual freshman Common Read.
Each year, Molloy assigns a book to their incoming freshmen class, after which the author of that book is invited to give a presentation. Kellenberg was the only high school lucky enough to attend this year’s Common Read presentation.
This year, the book given to the freshmen was The Plant Hunter by Dr. Cassandra Leah Quave, PhD. Dr. Quave is a medical ethnobotanist who travels the world visiting ecological hotspots of diverse plants. Dr. Quave’s presentation included all the ins and outs of what her job entails along with many of her adventures and life experiences.
When asked about how she felt listening to Dr. Quave’s presentation, Gabby Cruz ‘25 said, “I had a lot of fun and I enjoyed listening to Dr. Quave. I also really appreciated how she talked about her family life along with her successes and experiences.”
Following Dr. Quave’s speech, the students were able to have their copies of The Plant Hunter signed while getting to speak with Dr. Quave and ask questions. Afterwards, the students had lunch in one of Molloy’s dining halls followed by a private campus tour.
Mrs. Tochelli ‘98 remarked, “The English Department is appreciative of Molloy’s invitation and the opportunity to participate in the Molloy Common Read. Being able to hear Dr. Quave speak about her life experiences and research was very inspiring.”
Kellenberg would like to thank Molloy University for their generosity as well as Dr. Quave for her inspirational insight.