Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Peplau.
Hi Molly, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Katy, Texas with my two older sisters. Being a very inquisitive child, I was always very much interested in activities that were hands-on. I nurtured my artistic side and was always drawing or painting. Art class was very much one of my favorite classes in school. I also very much loved the outdoors as a child, and I can remember spending a lot of my time outside. When I was a child, I remember having a small garden and growing sunflowers, tomatoes, and other plants. I can also remember doing a lot of science experiments too, always eager to try all of the experiments that I learned from Bill Nye the science guy! Girl Scouts was a great organization which I was a member of for about 5 or 6 years, and my favorite trip was when we traveled to Disney World! Oftentimes, we would camp out at the local state parks for the weekend, and some of my best memories were made sitting around the campfire and roasting marshmallows. We would also frequent a location called Misty Meadows, which is a place where Girl Scouts can go to ride horses, and that was always my favorite place to visit. After the eighth grade, I moved to Montgomery, Texas, and I was very involved at my high school. I started playing the flute, and even joined the marching band, attending many competitions and performing in many concerts throughout the year. I was also a member of the National Honors Society, Leos Club, and the Junior Rotary Club. I also remained very involved with my local church. We did so many fun activities and trips, and I made some great friends that I still keep in touch with to this day! The mission trip to Monterrey, Mexico, and the skiing trip to Crested Butte, Colorado were two incredible trips! I excelled in high school, and even graduated at the top of my class. Afterwards, I completed my Associates degree at Lone Star College University Park, and I now have transferred to the University of Houston Downtown to complete my coursework. It is such a wonderful campus, and I love being a student there. I am the president of the Geology Club and a member of the Animal Rescue Club. One organization that I am also a member of is Tau Sigma, which is a very prestigious national honor society. I hope to study abroad in the near future, in either Ireland or Scotland. Being able to see the beautiful castles and landscape of either of the two countries would be such a great experience. I also have some great professors who have inspired me in so many ways! My major, at the University of Houston Downtown, is Geoscience with a petroleum geotechnology concentration. After completing my bachelor’s degree, I intend to pursue my master’s degree at either Colorado School of Mines or Texas A&M University. After I graduate, I hope to be able to work either in the oil and gas industry or in the mining industry. Currently I work at a local rock shop as a Geoscience Technician. It is such a rewarding job because I work with two former geologists, and I am able to learn so much from them. I plan to travel to Paisley, Oregon this summer for a research trip with two other professors. Our aim is to map out the area, and to also obtain rock samples, which we will radiometrically date using detrital Zircon geochronology. When I am not studying or working, I enjoy making beaded jewelry, which is something that I started doing about two years ago. I am a self-taught jeweler, and I enjoy selling my work at local markets and craft shows. I also make bottle cap art, which is a customer favorite at shows! Using pallet wood to construct the display boards, I create different designs out of the bottle caps on the board. The crab is the most popular, but I also make a pineapple, a chicken, a crawfish, the state of Texas outline, a pelican, and a few others. Another customer favorite at shows is my hand painted, decoupaged oyster shell trinket dishes. I clean and scrub each shell by hand, then I paint them with gold leaf. After that, I decoupage them with different designs. The floral print and the leopard print ones are the most popular. I love to make one of a kind, novelty items, as they are always a favorite at craft shows! Recently, I have also taken up gardening as a hobby and find it to be a very relaxing and enjoyable activity. My favorite things to grow are my herbs and vegetables because I can use them when I cook! I also like to grow zinnias because they are so beautiful when they bloom! In the future, I hope to be able to sell my produce at a local farmer’s market.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life is full of the unexpected, and it is very much also a learning curve. What we do with the things that we learn, enable us to make better decisions in the future. We are all human, and we all make mistakes. I have a great support system in my life, and I have found that when you surround yourself with the right people, it makes all the difference! My parents are so amazing and supportive of everything that I do and in all of my endeavors. Through thick and thin, they are always there for me, and have been my best ally. I also have two amazing sisters who are my best friends, and without their support, I would not be the strong woman that I am today. Most importantly, I have my Christian faith to guide me along the way. I pray every day and I rely on Jesus to show me the way!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Currently, I am a student at the University of Houston Downtown, but I also work at Angel’s Rocks and Fossils as a Geoscience Technician. It is a family-owned business, and we all work together to make it a great work environment. I am cross trained to handle incoming shipments, pricing, inventory management, and other day to day tasks. I also handle the front of house tasks, including taking care of the customers, teaching them about the different specimens, and also teaching the future geologists about all of the rocks and fossils. Being able to work with two former geologists makes for the perfect job environment! I learn so much from them and I contribute part of my success in school to the knowledge that I have gained from them. At Angel’s Rocks and Fossils, we carry a wide range of specimens, primarily the rough, natural pieces. Our claim to fame is our “Curiously Crazy Amethyst Room”, which is a separate area designated for hundreds of beautiful Amethyst pieces of all shapes and sizes. One popular item is our scripture rocks, which are thick slices of beautiful agate that have been hand engraved, each one with a different bible verse on it. Because we are also a ministry, our primary mission is to spread the word of Jesus to everyone who walks in!
Contact Info:
- Email: mollypeplau444@gmail.com
- Instagram: @peplaumolly
- Phone number: 832-345-7964
