The Student News Site of Malvern Preparatory School

Friar's Lantern

The Student News Site of Malvern Preparatory School

Friar's Lantern

The Student News Site of Malvern Preparatory School

Friar's Lantern

Teacher of the Issue: Mrs. Molly Morse

Teacher+of+the+Issue%3A+Mrs.+Molly+Morse

The language department’s newest addition, Mrs. Molly Morse reflects on her journey to become a Classics teacher.

Latin teacher Mrs. Molly Morse always had a interest in the classics but thought she would pursue a different path.

“I originally intended on majoring in English, but I decided to go more specific and major in the Classics,” Morse said.

Morse’s career decision was impacted by some of her favorite authors.

“I really love modernist literature like Joyce, I do also love the Russians, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy  are two of my definite favorites. I do also love the classics as well, though, that’s why I decided to major in it. Greek tragedies were always my focus in grad school and they were always my favorite, but I love Latin too, and Latin poetry and Vergil,” she said.

Morse also decided on the Classics because of her love for languages in part.

“When I went to Episcopal we had to take Latin, it was mandatory for two years, and obviously I kept it going for a really long time,” she said.

The combination of this love of literature and love of language brought her to the Classics.

“I think what drives my love of all languages is my love for literature, and so my Classics major with my Russian minor were really more of a specific avenue for that love for language and certain texts,” Morse said.

This love for languages was only accentuated by her love for traveling.

“I love to travel. I have traveled the most to eastern Europe. I’ve traveled to Russia several times and lived there for four months during a travel abroad program. I’ve been to Ukraine, Estonia, and Poland. I have traveled over that whole area extensively,” she said.

She started her classical studies in the south at Davidson.

I was looking at Georgetown, and more of the Ivies, Princeton as well. I actually ended up applying early to Davidson ED. I visited and really loved the campus and the small school was really good for me as well as the amazing faculty,” Morse said.

Morse returned home and went to a graduate program at Villanova University.

“I went to grad school at Nova. It was a two year program and was wonderful, and so for two years I worked in the Griffin Cafe in Wayne and then after I graduated I got my first teaching job at Cristo Rey in the city,” she said.

During her time at Cristo Rey she really started to realize the value of Latin. The school required that the students take Latin to help their english grammar skills.

“I think that has really influenced my thinking about teaching Latin and what students can take away from Latin regardless of whether or not they decide to go to grad school for the classical studies which I understand that most people won’t,” Morse said.

This prompted Morse and her husband to start an online Latin service called Agora Academy.

“Right now, as you know, we are setting up a service called Agora Academy which looks to remedy the fact that there aren’t a ton of resources for earlier education in Latin that aren’t aimed at the college level, so we are making an online service to work and fix that,” she said.

Outside of her career, Morse likes to keep busy by running and reading.

“I have completed two marathons, including Boston.” Morse said. “Other than that I’m very much a literature person, so I do a lot of reading and writing and that sort of thing.”

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All Friar's Lantern Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *