Meet Academic Mentor Niall Molloy

This month we caught up with ESM Prep UK Academic Mentor Niall Molloy to chat about everything from the value of “sharing our wins” as tutors to making life easier for yourself with a bit of personal organization.

Daniel McElroy: How did you end up at ESM, and did you ever expect you would be an academic mentor?

Niall Molloy: Completely by accident, but not without intention. My first job after graduation in 2015 was as a Physics researcher at the University of Belfast. Although I loved the physics aspect of it, I didn’t like the solitude. By nature it wasn’t very collaborative, and it didn’t help that I worked in a dingy basement.

I moved back to London and a friend helped me get a part-time job tutoring for a company based in Mayfair, while I also worked for a few startups. The startups didn’t end up working out but at the same time I started to realize that I was really enjoying the tutoring. When I came across ESM, I was really intrigued by the mentorship model. The ethos was unique and I felt such a different energy when I interviewed—I could tell they took the job seriously but didn’t take themselves too seriously.

That feeling from my research days of being a “lone soldier” had carried through to my other part-time tutoring. I didn’t really know any other tutors at my companies and you just couldn’t really share the wins, so to speak. There were a lot of gaps I saw in students’ academic progress or areas for improvement that just weren’t in my wheelhouse. So ESM’s community approach really spoke to me and I loved how much it seemed like people cared about the work they were doing. There’s a real culture of excellence. I had always valued education, and I love the ethos of the way we approach it—it’s why I’ve spent five years here.

DM: What about your work energizes you?

NM: I think it’s the small things, but also the way they play into the big picture. So, for instance, I’m currently reading a book alongside a student who doesn’t have a great vocabulary and doesn’t really read. I decided to read along with him to keep him motivated, and when we were talking about our next lesson last week, it was funny to realize, “Hey, you have homework, but so do I!” There’s this sense of being in the weeds with students, and we’re quite creative with coming up with individualized solutions for them. There are somewhat generalized objectives but we work with each student on an extremely personalized, case-by-case basis and that’s quite energizing because there are never two students who are exactly the same.

But we also get to see students mature—ESM UK’s first graduating class is now finishing college and getting to see them sort of enter the workforce and knowing that we were a small part of their educational journey is also really energizing for that individual attention we give to current students. Bigger picture, seeing the tangible impact keeps me energized through the day-to-day.

DM: What do you wish you’d known as a junior in high school?

NM: I’m relatively organized now and I’ve probably always been more on the detail-oriented side of things, but in the past I would have left things until absolutely necessary. In high school I consistently left things until the 11th hour—I got them done by the skin of my teeth but it could’ve been much easier. It wasn’t until midway through uni that I learned you don’t have to live that way! Keeping your folders, desk, lesson plans, etc. organized is such a game changer and frees up so much brain space. Don’t overlook things and life will be a little bit easier.

DM: Do you have any hidden talents or unexpected passions? If so, what?

NM: I really love the heritage of certain things. One example is this candle company called Cire Trudon that was founded during the reign of Louis XIV and has been making candles since the 1600s. I think it’s fascinating that there are continuously operating businesses that have been through, say, 20 generations, and so I love learning that history. I like things that have been around, will be around, and especially with the rise of tech and the fast pace of our lives, there’s a bit of me that’s an old soul and nostalgic for these things. When things are well made and have been around for such a long time, I respect the artisanal craft that’s gone into that, as well as these jobs that are so skill intensive. I would never be a blacksmith or a tailor myself, but I appreciate craftspeople so much and love learning more about the history and art behind really quality goods.