"We would have conversations at the dining hall and sit for hours. People would leave, join in. [It felt] like having a little Amherst family," Lyons said.
Her classmates still remember her warmheartedly. "She had a million friends at Amherst," said Megan Howell-Smith '97. "And [she] is the only person I know who manages to keep in touch frequently with all of them."
Long–lasting impact
Lyons feels that having been a resident counselor (RC) during her junior and senior years taught her a great deal. She lived in Cohan Dormitory her senior year as an upperclass RC, but she derived the most satisfaction during her junior year as a first-year RC in Stearns. "It was a big experience for me, to live and help these kids, to create a home away from home for them," she said.
The deans who worked with Lyons had nothing but compliments for her performance as an RC. Dean of Students Ben Lieber called her "a terrific RC, responsible and lively," and Dean of Residential Life Charri Boykin-East said that Lyons' "energy and boundless enthusiasm were apparent when working with students. Her enthusiasm [was] very contagious."
Lyons will be remembered as the RC who suggested and pushed forward the idea of creating first-year-only dorms. At the time, some dorms were mixed between upperclassmen and first-years while others were strictly for first-years. Lyons and fellow RC Bryan Luke '97 decided to promote a policy change regarding freshman housing.
"Throughout the student body, and in particular within the RC staff, suggestions were being made to create a freshman quad," said Boykin-East. "Thanks to the efforts of Molly and Luke's proposal, which was introduced in 1996, we now have a wonderful freshman quad. I credit much of the initial planning and vision of the quad to Molly Lyons and Brian Luke. I have a copy of [their] proposal in my office."
The writer
One of Lyons' greatest passions is writing. As a child she had always been encouraged to write. While at Amherst she worked on a publication entitled Madness, This? and also worked as the editor of The Amherst Review. "Writing is part of who I am," she said. "It's a very satisfying way of communication. I can't sing or dance. So I write."
Her first job out of college was in the field of journalism as an editorial assistant at Elle Decor magazine. After a year and a half she left to join Self magazine. "I worked my way up to associate editor," Lyons said. I was there for close to four years and consider it my professional alma mater of sorts." At Self she worked under three editors, who were quite different from one another. "I learned that there's no one way to do a job, which was reassuring." She values the know-how she acquired at Self about the publishing business, know-how which she later used to help the launch of the next publication she worked in.
The path to a career
Last October Lyons joined the launch team of the new Lifetime magazine. "It was a thrill for me to work on a new magazine. I learned a tremendous amount ... about marketing, brand-shaping, all kinds of things." Lifetime comes out 10 times a year and is "doing very well," according to Lyons. It is a general interest publication that "aims to reflect the real lives of its readers, mostly women in their thirties. The articles are inspired by other people's stories. We do features about women just like you, who've faced some challenge and triumphed over it."
Lyons enjoys her job. "I like the collaborative work. I like talking to other writers and editors. It's never lonely," she said. She does diverse work, from covering books to assigning, editing and writing features. The pace of a magazine suits her more than the frantic pace of a daily newspaper because, she said, "I like to take the time to mull things over." Lyons is very proud of Lifetime's emergence. "It's a thrill to see it on the newsstands as I walk by," she said.
To prepare for her literary career, Lyons majored in English and American studies. "English was a no-brainer, because I loved writing." She chose to double in American studies because of the interdisciplinary nature of the program. "It was nice taking courses from many fields," she explained. "It was nice not to feel life can be compartmentalized." She mentioned Professors of American Studies Jan Dizard and Carol Clark as two of her favorites. "I liked how their classes were discussion[s]," she said. After singling out two professors, however, Lyons was quick to clarify that there were many more professors who taught classes to which she looked forward. "It's always hard answering that question, because you don't want to leave anyone out," she said.
Lyons cherishes the opportunities she was given to meet with and learn from accomplished writers. Well-known authors and poets would come to the College and teach very small groups. "It was amazing. Almost one-on-one classes," said Lyons.
In the future, Lyons sees herself continuing to work as an editor. "As long as I'm working with smart people and learning things, I'll put my pencil to paper," she said. She has also been experimenting in writing fiction. "For now, all I have done is six paragraphs," she said.
Lyons' bond with the College will certainly not be severed. She has been involved in the Alumni Organization and has won an award for distinguished service. "Amherst made me more of who I am," she concluded.
Howell-Smith concurred. "I think that's a good way of putting it, and I think that's true of a lot of people. Molly became a more confident person because of Amherst-academically, socially, personally," she said. "The diversity of experiences [Lyons] had and people she met at Amherst broadened her horizons. But she has gotten a lot less gullible-junior year our friends Pete and Charlie convinced her that wild dogs lived in a tunnel below Stearns. She hardly ever falls for stuff like that anymore."