Kendra Molyet is not only one of my closest friends, but a true inspiration. She preaches about girl power and equality. Her infectious personality filled with independence, tranquility and determination, makes her someone you want to be friends with. She produced unique and passionate responses to every question I asked her. She inspires me to love deeper, dream bigger and live a life filled with passion not only for the sake of my career, but for myself.
Molyet is a managerial marketing major with an international business minor from Fremont, Ohio. Molyet is the president of the Business Leadership Club, part of the American Marketing Association, on the Student Advisory Board for Career Services, a second year RA, a student service leader who leads Saturday volunteer trips, part of the Newman Center and part of the Catholic parish.
Her Campus: What is your dream job?
Kendra Molyet: My dream job has changed over the past couple of years. I think I want to work between countries, and try to improve trade and globalization. I think it is very important for the world to all work together, and meet a common goal to reach great economic status. I also want to work in a nonprofit company somewhere, or work in a third world country for a portion of my life, like joining the Peace Corps.
What drives me, are people. I love creating new relationships with people, like when my friends and residents thank me for putting up inspirational signs in the hallway or being there for them in a time of need. Those are the things that drive me, and make me feel good inside. If I could have an occupation that makes me feel that way, I know that I would be very happy because that is what I am inspired by. I want to give back to a greater cause other than my own.
HC: What are you most passionate about?
KM: I am very passionate about running, swimming, biking, dancing and anything that gets my body moving and makes me feel happy. I have a morning routine of getting up, making my bed, stretching, meditating and thinking about the day coming ahead and the challenges I am about to face, the people I am about to encounter, and the opportunities that are about to happen. I really look for the potential in the day.
I used to not be a morning person but I read this thing about successful people having habits and good routines. I decided that I was going to start this routine. It has helped me stay focus, driven and sane. It is really ‘me’ time in the morning. I think everyone should believe that they are important and my well-being is very important. My top priority will be to always take care of myself, because it starts with yourself and you should take care of yourself above everyone else.
Another passion is definitely self growth. I do a lot of reading of self-help books and my favorite is How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul. It is a religious book, but it goes into a lot of discrepancies that women face throughout the day and how women should be treated.
HC: Do you consider yourself a feminist?
KM: Yes, I would consider myself one. Some people have this idea that a feminist is someone who thinks that women are superior to men, but that is really not the case. It is about women having equal rights through legal, political, social and economic rights as a human being. I do not know if it should really be called a feminist. It should be called a humanitarian, because I think it should be the love for everyone and the understanding that everyone is equal and everyone has different gifts and talents that they can bring to the table, and address the fact that we are all equal and all one. Working together will make us more successful rather than discriminating people or bringing other people down because they are different.
HC: What is your go-to advice for women?
KM: Above all else, love yourself solely because you are important. I don’t mean this in the way that you are better than anyone else. I mean this in a way that you should earn a respect for yourself and know what you deserve. We accept the love we think we deserve, so we should be looking out for our own interest and should always be selfish. I would consider myself very selfish, because I take care of myself first and I think that that is important for everybody, not just me. Sometimes I have to look in the mirror and tell myself “wow you are so beautiful, I am so great, I am so happy for who I am and all the decisions that I have made because I am so happy of who I am.” I hope and wish one day that every girl could do that because we are the byproduct of every decision we ever made in our lives. It is truly my hope that one day all girls will be able to look at themselves and truly love themselves of who they are.
HC: Do you think the media plays a role in a woman’s inability to love herself?
KM: The media today makes me very aggravated and I don’t like looking at magazines or tabloids because it portrays this image of women that is not true about body image and beauty. I truly believe that beauty comes from within. What you make of yourself, your personality and the different decisions you make within hardships are what truly define your character and portrays your self-beauty. Every woman is truly beautiful in her own way.
I hope one day, women don’t need the affirmation or approval of men. It makes me so mad because men are portrayed as the ones who have to accept us. I think that sometime women will throw themselves at men for attention and for love. And if we turned that around and show that love for ourselves instead of giving it to someone else that does not deserve it, I think that we can meet a mutual respect and love and meet a human right that everyone deserves. Sometimes women degrade themselves and their self worth to compromise for attention. I will never ever need the approval or attention of a man to make me feel more in love with myself than I am today. And I hope one day all girls will be able to reach that.
This one time I did not want to go to the frats, but my friends begged me. When I went out with them, I wore yoga pants, socks with sandals, and an oversize sweatshirt with my hair in a ponytail. I walked in and I turned so many heads. What I thought was ironic was that me dressing conservatively, like I was going to bed, turned more heads than the girl who had her cleavage out. I find it ironic that the more conservative you dress the more attention you obtain. Guys are so used to having girls throw themselves at them that they do not feel the need to give those girls the attention because they are just like everyone else.
HC: What has been the best piece of advice you have ever received?
KM: The best piece of advice that I have received was from a TedTalk: ‘Don’t fake it until you make it. Fake it until you become it.’ I think this is so true, because to me it means believing in yourself. Essentially once you keep going through the motions and keep doing what you want to do to achieve a goal, you essentially become it. It hits home because I have grown since being in college, and I knew the person I wanted to become, a strong female that is very independent and loves herself fully, and I have totally reached that point.
HC: Have you ever taken part in a feminist movement?
KM: Yes, The Naked Face Project. You had to wear no makeup for any certain amount of time you wanted. I went makeup free for 60 days. This project is about growing to love yourself, and realizing you do not need products to make yourself beautiful. Through this time, I truly blossomed into the person I am today. I was not worried what people thought and I accepted myself for who I was. I felt really beautiful, and I enjoyed reading other women’s blog about their experience. I think that is what is going to make us strong in the end, when women build each other up and don’t tear each other down and look at each other as competition but rather as companions, and reach a common goal of peace, love and tranquility. Having hate and different judgments of each other is not going to achieve anything. The only thing that will achieve anything is love and I think we should all love ourselves.
Get to know more about Kendra on Facebook and Instagram @keenken22.