GERLL Club Hosts Finance Panel & Presents First Ever Girls Leadership Scholarship!

To close out Women’s History Month, GERLL Club hosted a Finance Panel! Molloy’s Principal Dr. Darius Penikas and Molloy’s Tuition Manager Ms. Danielle Santucci-Gracchi spoke to students about working in finance and how saving and investing money is important to start at a young age. Dr. Penikas began the panel with a presentation that explained the difference between saving money and investing it, and then both panelists answered students’ questions. Inquiries ranged from what it means to invest smartly, career options for people who are interested in finance, advice for women wanting to pursue a male-dominated career, the benefits of purchasing a home, and how to stay out of debt.

Dr. Penikas assured all in attendance that they “do not need a lot of money to invest,” and that “investing young is smart because it gives you time to learn, and time for your money to grow.” He added, “It will be scary at first, but starting small will help prepare you for the larger investments in your future.” Ms. Santucci-Gracchi shared that one of the most important pieces of advice she was given was to “invest in your 401K,” and to “make sure your assets are diversified.” She also told Stanners, “It’s extremely important to be confident, speak when you have something to say, and let your presence be known, especially as a woman.” 

At the conclusion of the panel, Ms. MaryAnn Safrey, co-founder of GERLL Club and recent Stanner Hall of Fame inductee, spoke about the Girls Leadership Scholarship Fund. She mentioned the fundraising initiatives taken over the last seven years to build up the fund so that for the first time, Molloy and the GERLL Club could offer the very first Girls Leadership Scholarship! In attendance was Jennifer Koss, a stellar 8th grader that was chosen to receive the scholarship and who will be attending Molloy as part of the Class of 2029. Congratulations, Jennifer, and thank you to the GERLL Club, Ms. Safrey, Ms. Henning, and Ms. Kobinski ‘04 for all of their hard work!