At the age of five, when one barely knew the alphabet, little Molly Shanks was already playing the violin. Born in Wales, England and brought up in Palo Alto, California, she is a mixture of diverse cultures and possesses varied talents. She is currently a Violin Performance major at Boston University. From being a violinist to a fighter for equal rights, she serves as a symbol of courage and creativity to those around her.
When asked about her sentiments towards playing the violin, she says, “It has helped me to grow in thinking about things in new ways.” In a world where people find toxic distractions to find a temporary escape, Shanks says, “it helps me to escape my everyday routine by being productive at the same time.” When she talks about her favorite artists, one can see the passion in her eyes. Shanks say, “Shostakovich is my favorite composer because he is not stereotypical and writes his initials in his musical notes, which I think is pretty cool.”
In today’s world, music as a talent, hobby or profession is something that is taken for granted. Coming from the Silicon Valley, a place where technology and science is extensive. Shanks says that, “playing the violin has helped me to be creative. I think about math and art in different ways now. And most people are unaware about this but it increases my dexterity and hand-eye coordination.”
Ever since the age of 5, she has been practicing the violin every day for at least an hour. Along with working towards bettering herself, she works towards the growth of the community around her too. She held the position of Treasurer in the Gay-Straight Alliance in her school that stood for LGBTQ rights. She says she is, “a big advocate for the LGBTQ rights.”
However, apart from standing up for the LGBTQ community, she also contributes to the betterment of the community with her belief in veganism. She has been a non-vegetarian turned vegetarian turned vegan. Her personal choice to do this was due to environmental reasons and her love for animals. Despite the difficulties of adapting a new diet, she turned vegan a year ago and said that, “I would never revert to the non-vegetarian diet simply because I make healthier choices now and live a plant-based dietary lifestyle.”
She fights for equal rights, protects the environment and in addition to this, she was a part of a project where she helped build 3 schools in Sri Lanka to improve the educational services there.
With exceptional talents and a selfless soul, she is striving academically at Boston University where she is also a part of the sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta — a sorority that includes exceptional young women thriving in different fields and working towards the greater good of the community.