With her influential journalistic pieces, bright smile, and multiple leadership roles on campus, sophomore Molly Wharton is a stand-out on a campus of superstars. Read more to find out some of her favorite parts of Harvard and advice she has for incoming freshmen!
Name: Molly Wharton
Class: 2017
Concentration: Economics
House: Lowell
Hometown: Larchmont, NY
1. What activities are you involved in on campus, and why?
On campus, I write for the Crimson’s weekly magazine, Fifteen Minutes, which has been a ton of fun. I’ve been able to speak with and learn from some really cool people on campus for my pieces: I did a profile of Alan Dershowitz last year, and wrote a piece this year about students who have had to serve in the military of their countries before coming to Harvard. I’m also the online editor of the Harvard Salient, which is a political magazine, and it’s been really awesome to be able to write about issues that I really care about. Finally, I’m am a member of the Crimson Key Society, which is an organization that guides campus tours and helps to organize campus events.
2. What was your favorite memory from freshman year?
My favorite memory was the huge grade-wide snowball fight in the freshman yard right at the end of first semester. I had just finished my last final, and it was so much fun to be with all the freshmen for one last time before winter break.
3. What did you do this past summer?
Over the summer, I worked as an intern at the political magazine National Review in Manhattan. It was a really incredible experience- I was able to publish a ton of pieces online, and meet some amazing journalists.
4. What class are you enjoying the most so far this semester?
My favorite class so far is an economics class called Religion and the Rise of Capitalism. It looks at how the decline of Calvinism intertwined with the rise of the capitalist system, and how religion and economics are related today.
5. Do you have any advice for incoming freshmen?
My advice to freshmen is to try to go outside of your comfort zone as much as you can. Academically, take a class even if it seems intimidating or is on a subject you know nothing about. Socially, try not to just stick with people with whom you can easily relate, but instead try to meet people who are totally different from you.