Department of Education

Hometown: Providence, Rhode Island

Education: Columbia College of Columbia University, B.A. in Film and Media Studies, Special Program: Creative Writing, Feb. 2006

Molly Lederer is an aspiring educator, currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching for Secondary School English at Brown University. A Providence, RI native and proud product of its public schools (grades K-12), Molly earned her bachelor’s degree at Columbia University, where she enjoyed surprising many a New Yorker with the news that Rhode Island was not, in fact, on Long Island. Or an island! 

After returning to Providence, Molly worked as a director of communications and marketing for over a decade. She also wrote about local arts and culture for area publications, highlighting the diversity and creativity that make the city so dynamic. Parenthood sparked her interest in the field of education, which she spent the past two years exploring as a substitute teacher in nine Providence public high schools. The experience gave her a sense of the varied gifts, nuanced needs, and unlimited potential of youth in her community. It increased her appreciation of educators and cemented her desire for training. 

Molly welcomes the opportunity to learn how better to support and empower students alongside a passionate cohort. She is further honored to receive the Urban Education Fellowship, through which she hopes to continue serving in Providence public schools with enthusiasm. Outside of the classroom, Molly has three young kids who keep her busy, grateful, and going places that require parallel parking a minivan. If you see her doing so, please feel free to smile and wave; she will be there awhile. Like the pursuit of graduate degrees and training of impactful teachers, good things take time.