[Editor's note: This is part 10 of 11 in a series of Aquinas College student profiles being published on the Aquinas website throughout the spring 2012 semester.]

The oldest of eleven children and the only one currently away from home, sophomore Molly Pelak has found another family in the Aquinas community. Her friends, many former floor mates from St. Joes, have helped her turn Aquinas into a form of home.

Coming from a big Catholic family with five brothers, five sisters and a dog named Oreo (something she labeled as "chaos at its finest"), Pelak believes that her involvement with her faith should go deeper than just going to Mass on Sundays. She hopes to continue to evolve in her faith and enjoys giving back whether it be through Habitat for Humanity projects or inspiring children to learn.

"I knew I really wanted to do education when I was in high school," said Pelak who is in her first year of the Aquinas education program. Her goal is to teach first through fourth graders, ages when she feels the students are young enough to still be moldable and excited for learning. Wanting to become a teacher that kids enjoy, Pelak related how she has learned what not to do from her own poor experiences with teachers and embarrassing moments at elementary and secondary school. For Pelak, being able to apply what she has learned through classes into her observation hours at St. Thomas the Apostle School has been a blast.

"I think she shows great potential for not only being a good teacher, but a great teacher! Her intelligence as well as her creativity will serve her and her future students well, "said Associate Provost Nanette Clatterbuck.

Pelak, who is majoring in Language Arts and has her minor focused in math, said she chose Aquinas, because of the small teacher to student ratio, the personalized attention, and the ever-so friendly atmosphere – and it doesn’t hurt that both parents are alumni. Being able to see at least three friends as she strolls across campus is important for the smiling sophomore and a feature of the small campus that she most enjoys.

Coming from a graduating class of over 400 where she knew no one, Pelak said that she has been able to find her niche through playing intramural volleyball, being a part of the annual CYBIAC retreat and participating in group excursions such as the South Manitou Backpacking trip during the fall 2011 semester (which she absolutely loved).

Looking back on freshman year she remembers staying up until 3 a.m. playing "Just Dance” in the St Joe’s Hall lounge on weekends. At 2011’s annual Wake Up People party, Pelak won a $100 Meijer gift card while a friend won the coveted Lady Gaga tickets - an exhilarating concert she will never forget.

Hoping to study abroad in Ireland next spring, Pelak said that she is the type of person who gets excited for something from the get-go. "I'm looking forward to getting into the classroom and just starting to teach. Just applying what I've learned and experienced in real life. I'm so ready for it," she said, clearly already excited to put classroom materials to practice.