Molly Rouse-Terlevich, C’90, GED’00, and Fabio Terlevich, WG’00

by Karen Doss Bowman

A believer in the transforma­tive power of a high-quality education, Molly Rouse-Terlevich, C’90, GED’00, is drawn to the potential of Penn GSE’s work to break cycles of inequality and pro­mote opportunities for every child to succeed.

“Penn GSE is trying to shift the dynamic of the American educa­tion system and reframe how we do education in every way—from how we use curricula and evaluate children’s learning, to how we fund education,” Molly says. “They’re trying to solve all of these problems and put education together in a new, effective way, like a Rubik’s Cube.”

During her time as a student at Penn GSE, Molly experienced what she describes as the “multidimensional” nature of the School’s curriculum, research opportunities, and connections to urban schools. She was able to apply lessons learned in her classes by engaging in volunteer opportunities and through her work with Progressions School, an organization that serves children with emotional and behavioral challenges.

“Penn GSE is trying to shift the dynamic of the American educa­tion system and reframe how we do education in every way—from how we use curricula and evaluate children’s learning, to how we fund education.”

“I felt like there were lots of places in which the School connected the dots from the research, learning, and mastery of material to application and practice in a real-world setting,” she says.

Appointed in 2011 to the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Molly currently serves on the Trustees Council of Penn Women, an international network of Penn alumnae, as cochair of the Program­ming Committee.

Consistent supporters of the Penn GSE Annual Fund, Molly and her husband, Fabio Terlevich, WG’00, recently contributed to Penn GSE’s Capital Expansion Project, which seeks to bring the majority of the School’s degree programs into a central location with flexible, technologically advanced learning spaces. Molly believes that having the School housed in one building will create a stronger, more cohe­sive community where students will thrive.

“It is important at a big university to try to have that sense of community and be a part of something that feels special,” she says. “The project will help create this identity where students feel part of something special, where the environment emphasizes a dynamic of thinking outside the box.”

To learn more about the Extraordinary Impact Campaign, visit www.gse.upenn.edu/support/extraordinary-impact or contact us at 215.573.6623 or alumni@gse.upenn.edu.

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2019 issue of The Penn GSE Magazine.