About Me

Hello folks!  I am so glad you have had the pleasure of learning about the Bike & Build program and are taking some time to read about my experience.  

My name is Molly Bruce and I am from the Lake Norman area, just north of Charlotte, North Carolina.  I am currently a student at UNC Chapel Hill studying Human Geographies, Global Studies in Latin America with a concentration in social movements and politics, and Hispanic Studies; so it goes without saying that I am passionate about immigration and the larger Latino community, both in the United States and in other parts of the world.  Outside the academic and professional arenas, I am on the steering committee of UNC's Habitat for Humanity chapter, am a member of UNC's Sailing Team and I volunteer with Enrich ESL, a program that offers English language tutoring to the local migrant community.  

My parents and my twin brother love the outdoors and are huge proponents of travel (my parents are commercial airline pilots).  Therefore, not only do I love backpacking and camping, but I have had the good fortune of being able to voyage to many parts of the United States, Central America, Caribbean and Europe. Having grown up around the airline industry, I absolutely love flying and the energetic feeling that accompanies finding my way in unfamiliar settings, so this past summer, I decided to pursue earning my pilot's license.  

Both my interest in sailing and my interest in biking I attribute completely to my brother, Tommy.  After falling in love with road biking, he encouraged me to jump on the bike and pedal behind him in a twenty-mile die that ended with a  wonderful 300 degree view of the lake.  Since that time four years ago, I try to squeeze in a ride whenever I can carve out the time.  If you haven't ever had the pleasure of road biking, I highly encourage it.  The experience is both invigorating and relaxing, allowing you to unwind and re-instill meaning, adventure and appreciation in your life.  

My interest in the affordable housing cause is strongly linked to my dedication to migrant issues.  While an unfortunate number of American families live in unacceptable housing conditions, the percentage of immigrants forced to live in these destitute environments is even higher.  It is my hope that by participating in Bike & Build, I can raise awareness about the lack of affordable housing available in the United States and the unfortunate ways in which certain groups of people are frequently pigeon-holed into accepting those conditions that are, by national standards, unacceptable.  Additionally, I am thrilled that Bike & Build allows me to combine my love of road biking and my penchant for adventure with my interest in affordable housing and migrant concerns.  

And finally, a concise and abbreviated list of things that make me happy: dark chocolate, mangos, reading, hot tea and honey, dogs, the color green, the smell of cedar and pine, classic cars, early mornings, big windows with great views, writing, farmers’ markets, gardens, indie/folk music, spending time with my family and friends, and of course,biking! 

• "Time slips.  Days pass.  Years fade.  Life ends.  And what we came to do on Earth must be done with there is time” – Milan Jed

• "The bold adventurer succeeds the best.” – Ovid 

• "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention to arrive safely in a pretty and well preserved body; but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow!  What a ride!’” – Hunter S. Thompson