In Waunakee, Wisconsin, 18-year-old Molly Schafer, a senior at Waunakee High School, has often been perceived as a loner among her classmates. Many noted that not many students interacted with her, a stark contrast to her more sociable self in elementary and middle school before she developed social anxiety.
Reflecting on this change, Molly expressed a desire to reconnect with her classmates, yearning to be seen and engaged with again. What sets Molly’s approach apart is her proactive response to her isolation.
Rather than feeling sorry for herself or blaming others, she turned to her art to bridge the gap. Every day, she dedicated hours in a loft above her garage to create portraits of the students with whom she once shared a connection.
Over time, these efforts resulted in 44 detailed paintings, each requiring approximately 13 hours to complete, totaling about 600 hours of work. Molly then gifted these portraits to her classmates.
The reaction from her peers has been overwhelmingly positive. Students have praised the time and effort she dedicated to each painting, commenting on the incredible thoughtfulness behind her work.
However, the paintings also sparked feelings of regret among some, who reflected on missed opportunities for connection. “I wish I would have made more relationships with some kids that I didn’t talk with,” one student noted.
Molly’s experience serves as a poignant reminder about the perceptions of friendship and connection. She hopes that both students and adults can learn from her journey, emphasizing that feelings of loneliness may often be misconstrued.
“You can’t go through life thinking that you don’t have friends because they don’t like you,” she said. Molly encourages others to understand that these thoughts can be misleading and that reaching out is essential.