Molly & Taylor: How this DREAM Mentor Helped Raise $5,000 for Her Mentee’s College Fund and Closed the Opportunity Gap

Unlike most DREAM mentors who get matched with multiple mentees throughout their participation, Dartmouth student Molly Thornton was paired with her mentee Taylor Galgay all four years of her time at DREAM. Molly and Taylor developed a close bond and meaningful friendship that continues to this day. Even after DREAM, Molly was dedicated to showing up for Taylor in any way she could and that included helping her raise about $5,000 for higher education. 

Getting Matched with Taylor

When Taylor and Molly first started their mentor/mentee relationship, consistency was key. Prior to being paired with Molly, Taylor had other mentors but they never seemed to last. However, Molly and Taylor both prioritized showing up every week because in a lot of different ways, building this relationship was important for their growth. 

Taylor and Molly during village mentoring.

Molly never missed a DREAM day. Even if she wasn’t feeling up to it, she knew that Taylor and the time they spent together was more important than making excuses. She showed she was invested and as a result, the relationship between Taylor and Molly thrived.

“I looked forward to spending time with Taylor. I looked forward to having an opportunity to focus on someone and something that wasn’t a college student to bring myself back to reality,” Molly says.

When reflecting on her time at DREAM, one of the moments that sticks out most to Molly was seeing Taylor graduate high school. Molly knew Taylor was always going to graduate, despite any challenges, because she knew Taylor was driven enough to do anything she set her mind to. Attending the graduation and seeing Taylor’s confidence and pride was very meaningful to Molly after being by Taylor’s side as she grew up throughout high school. Molly remembers Taylor talking about college as a goal for herself, and completing high school was only the first step. 

Recognizing the Opportunity Gap 

Molly recognizes she had different opportunities than Taylor. Having served in DREAM’s program focused on closing the opportunity gap, the opportunity for higher education was never something that she had to worry about. College was an expectation and Molly never had to think twice about how she was going to pay for it. It was always a given that she was going and that she would have support. 

However, Taylor had an alternate experience. After graduating high school and leaving the DREAM program, Taylor spent six years working as a medical secretary and attending community college online before setting her sights on a four-year college program. Unlike Molly, Taylor would have to find a way to fund her education herself. Although this was something that Molly was unfamiliar with, and though she had not been active in The DREAM Program for over half a decade, Molly wanted to do anything she could to help Taylor raise the money she needed. “I was shocked and humbled to see how difficult it was for Taylor to finance her college education and I just felt there was something inherently wrong with that, especially at a place like Dartmouth where you’re just surrounded by a tremendous amount of privilege,” Molly recalls.

Helping Close the Opportunity Gap 

Initially, Molly’s goal was to reach out to the DREAM community and DREAM alumni to help Taylor fundraise to get the additional money she needed for college. She believes that for mentors, being involved with DREAM shouldn’t stop once they graduate. Believing in DREAM’s mission means that you are invested and willing to contribute even when you are no longer getting an entry for your resume. 

Taylor participates in a ceremony for Disability Awareness Week in 2023; photo credit: St. Micheal's College

Molly reached out to not only the DREAM community, but also her own network. With the support of family and friends, Taylor was able to raise $5,000. Thanks to this effort, Taylor attended St. Michael’s College.

During school, Taylor took advantage of her experience and was very active. On top of being a caring Resident Assistant and student leader for a research group, Taylor was awarded the Antonia Messuri Scholarship Award, which is given to a rising sophomore who has shown “unparalleled dedication to academic excellence.”  Taylor also founded the Student Disability Advocacy Alliance and helped organize various events throughout Disability Awareness Week to bring awareness of and honor those with disabilities.

In 2022, during an appearance on a Burlington Radio station where she shared her final paper for her Philosophy of Disability class titled "Disability, Eugenics, Genetic Engineering, Human Enhancement and Morality," Taylor mentions her time at DREAM and how it affected her.

"I wouldn’t be where I am today without the DREAM program in which I was a mentee from 2008 to 2014. I was blessed to have the same mentor for most of that time who transformed how I thought of myself and the world around me.” — Taylor Galgay

Taylor and Molly at Taylor's college graduation.

Taylor graduated from St. Michael’s in 2024 and has remained close with Molly. Molly hopes that mentors can look at her and Taylor’s story and set more ambitious goals for themselves. Molly reminds us that, “closing the opportunity gap is giving [mentees] the opportunity to have someone who’s showing up every week who is there in their lives to be consistent, to support, and to show them love, and provide them with encouragement when maybe that wouldn’t be what they were getting otherwise.”

Want to learn how you can make an impact like Molly?

Check out the DREAM Scholarship Fund