Molly Rupprecht

Molly pulled up the gravel drive and gave me a big wave. She hopped out to join me for a hike on this freezing, rainy December afternoon. We were the only people crazy enough to hike in this weather casually. We suited up head to toe in rain gear in the parking lot of the school that taught us to embrace any weather (along with how to make a birchbark canoe, carve shingles, tap maple trees, and identify insects, leaves, birds, and frogs) — Goodwillie Environmental School.

GES is a 5th and 6th-grade school through the Forest Hills Public Schools district that is entirely project-based learning, where manner and hard work mean everything. Molly and I met here 13 years ago and have remained best friends ever since. 

“I love Michigan,” Molly told me as we started walking. “I think one of the biggest impacts on my life is the activities and things you can do in nature. We have the Great Lakes, we have some beautiful parks, and being in Savannah… you don’t feel as intertwined with the Great Outdoors.” She motioned to the beautiful multi-acre wooded property the school sits on. “If I didn't live in Michigan, I would have never gone to Goodwillie!”.

Molly is in her final year of college, studying Fibers at Savannah College of Art and Design. As Molly develops her Senior Capstone project at SCAD, she has been reflecting on her identity as an artist. I asked if any defining moments from her childhood have led her to where she is now. “Goodwillie nurtured my love for nature and science, which is still very apparent in the work I do now.” At Goodwillie, we learned to observe the world around us. Our phenology journals helped us to focus on the things we saw, heard, smelled, and felt. Many lessons overlapped with the arts. We learned to dye yarn with pokeberries, acorns, and goldenrod. We learned to felt, block print, and paint with watercolor. It's understandable that these experiences sparked Molly's interested in science and craft.

“I was also a 4H kid. I showed alpacas!” she said with a chuckle. We were co-presidents of the Ada Alpaca Amigos for years, showing our alpacas in a local 4H fair every summer. She described how much she learned from working in a team from an early age, learning creative problem-solving skills, learning to receive feedback, and even awards for her art. “The wool had a pretty big impact on me and my work.” 

Lastly, she said that growing up, her American Girl Dolls inspired her to design and make outfits, which she believes was the source of her interest in fashion. 

Molly’s journey, like most people’s, was not linear. After transferring colleges and switching majors, she finally discovered the Fibers Department at SCAD, and it felt like home. “As much as I love fashion, especially for the runway, I started thinking about what that would mean in terms of where I’m living. Those options don’t necessarily fit the rest of my lifestyle. I started taking a turn to fibers and textile development with outdoorwear in mind.”

Fibers is an “umbrella term” that offers vast opportunities. Some artists in the department take a traditional route, preferring to work hands-on by weaving, knitting, sewing, and crocheting. Some artists focus on CAD work, using digital tools to create prints and patterns to be used in textiles, home interiors, and products. Molly describes this as a “Graphic Design adjacent”. Some students end up creating fine art for museums and galleries, while others work in mass production.

As AI technologies continue to be refined, Molly discussed how the print and pattern industry is “taking a hit”. It has made her rethink her goals, leaning more towards the “sustainable process of making fibers” with a focus on outdoor products and brands. “I have really fallen in love with alpaca wool, shocker!” She laughs, “and I’ve done research on the fact that it is the most sustainable wool we have.” In a combination of eco-consciousness and personal sentiment, this is something that Molly sees as a future opportunity.

There are many sustainable choices, both short-term and long-term, that Molly makes in her daily life. “It’s tough to be living a zero-waste lifestyle in college”, she stated, so her solution is to build small habits and ways of thinking and living eco-consciously. When seeing what information is being discussed in the media surrounding our climate, she says “It’s scary!” She continues, “At times, I have felt… hopeless. As if we’re too late or the damage that has been done is irreversible.” But she’s not alone in this feeling. Eco-anxiety is a common fear that stems from being aware of the consequences of the environment. “Sometimes it feels like it’s not enough… But I really don’t think that’s the case. Everyone has a role to play.”

When I asked Molly what changes she would hope to see in a perfect world, she jokingly started with “Everyone would chew with their mouth closed!” We laughed, but then she got serious. “I hope that we actually end up dismantling the systems of oppression in our country for many different groups of people.” She added, “I wish that we held our government to a higher standard when it comes to our environment and what they’re allowed to feed us.” There’s a lot of work we need to do as a society, and we all have unique skills that can help us to better this world. When I asked Molly where she starts when she wants to see a change in the world, she said “Actually, self-love and acceptance.” She said that this is something she has worked on and has found that when you can understand and forgive yourself, “it allows you to feel like the world deserves to be better.” 

I have had the pleasure of watching Molly go through many stages of life, figuring out who she wants to be and what she wants to contribute to the world. Molly will be graduating in the Spring from SCAD, and her future is yet to be determined. She's nervous. She described watching the people around her go through these milestone events of your early 20’s — graduating, getting your first job, marriage, home-owning. “I have been in school since… I was four? The transition feels daunting… There was this pre-set path, and then all of a sudden... it’s done.” She then emphasized, “It’s also so exciting. I finally have the opportunity to pursue whatever the hell I want!” She said she’s looking forward to graduating and her Senior Show, and post-SCAD, she can't wait to explore the world. “I’m excited for the opportunity to live in different places. Being in your 20s is a great time to travel and see the different places you can live and find one that clicks.” She paused. “I’m excited to get a job.” We laughed at the intensity of the work at SCAD and the constant struggle of trying to live our lives as college students without feeling guilty for stepping away for an evening. She’s looking forward to a better work/life balance and having more collaboration opportunities rather than being graded. 

We walked up a steep hill and windedly discussed how lucky we are to be doing what we love. “It’s important to find the balance between work and play,” she started, to which I added, short of breath, “and I think it’s important that we approach our work AS play.” We agreed that we want to feel challenged and continuously learn throughout our lives. 

As we approached the end of our walk, I asked Molly if there was anything else she wanted to add. “Love yourself. If you’re ever in the park and you see trash that’s not a biohazard, pick it up. And always remember the dinosaurs.”
 

 

In our early 20’s, we face many pending events and decisions that feel major. In a short few years, the expectations and supervision from school are uprooted, important people in our lives grow in different directions, and we pressure ourselves to have the question of what we will do for the rest of our lives answered now. We quickly learn that the only consistency is change. On top of everything happening in our personal lives, we face a devastating climate crisis and systems of oppression that can feel debilitating. I want to share the experiences of people in my life who are dedicated to making a positive change. From artists to future doctors, the people highlighted in this series think about the world around them and how they can help people and our planet. I look forward to continuing to highlight special people and inspiring others to use their unique set of skills to better our world. 

See more from Molly by following her art Instagram @mollyrupprechtdesign. To contact her directly, feel free to send us a message and we will get you connected.