August 2013
To Whom It May Concern:
It is with great pleasure and conviction that I write this letter of recommendation for Erin Zaideman as she applies for student teaching positions. In the time I have known Ms. Zaideman, she has shown herself to be an outstanding leader, student, and individual with a passion for her academic studies and exceptional character.
I met Ms. Zaideman during her first year at the University of Northern Iowa in Dancer Hall. Ms. Zaideman joined our Hall Senate and quickly became an invaluable member of the team. Dancer Senate is a leadership group in the hall that plans hall events, makes decisions on issues pertaining to our community, and communicates information from the Department of Residence as well as campus information to students. As advisor of this group and the Residence Life Coordinator of Dancer, I watched Ms. Zaideman participate with energy, humor, and strong leadership skills. She was always willing to go above and beyond to plan an event for Dancer residents, or to weigh in on questions or decisions for the betterment of our community. She quickly became a respected member of the group by staff and her peers, and raised the bar for leadership in Senate and our hall and campus community.
For two years, I also supervised, along with the Dancer graduate assistant, Ms. Zaideman in her role as Desk Assistant (DA). The DA position is crucial to our hall office operations and our community, as they are the “face” of Dancer Hall for students, staff, families, and guests. DAs are responsible for assisting a full-time secretary with the day-to-day office responsibilities, including mail, lockouts, administrative tasks, and responding to staff, resident, and guest needs. Ms. Zaideman showed outstanding communication and organization skills and proved herself to be an integral part of our team. I could always depend on her to complete needed tasks thoroughly and with enthusiasm; in fact, she often took initiative to create ways of making processes more efficient or student-friendly, and consistently asked where she could assist outside of her usual shift duties. One of the largest projects Ms. Zaideman took on was an idea all her own. Our staff supply room has needed a complete organization overhaul for many years now, and it is one of those thankless tasks for which no one ever wants to volunteer. Ms. Zaideman, however, took time over her Spring Break to completely clean, reorganize, and inventory the supply room. It was unrecognizable when we returned—it became the exact kind of space needed for the over 30 people who use the space (both staff and student leaders). In creating an inventory list, it was a definite plus for our budget as people would now know what we already had before purchasing new items. In pulling out hardly used or no longer needed items, Ms. Zaideman was able to make donations to area charities. In cleaning the room and organizing the items, Ms. Zaideman created a space that would allow staff to work more efficiently, thereby improving our efforts at building our community. I was so impressed with how uncomplainingly Ms. Zaideman went about this task, and the staff, student leaders and I were extremely grateful for her hard work and dedication. This is just one example of the many ways Ms. Zaideman has gone above and beyond as a leader.
Having worked with Ms. Zaideman for the entirety of her student career at UNI, I have also become familiar with her involvements outside of the hall. I know Ms. Zaideman is a dedicated student and passionate about her chosen field of study. She is also involved in campus groups, including athletics, and is respected as a leader on those teams as well. She has a stunning array of involvements both on campus and in the larger community. To meet her is to instantly see her genuine enthusiasm, energy, and care for others. Ms. Zaideman excels at building rapport with peers and supervisors, because she pays attention to each individual and what they need at the moment. Whether it is an encouraging smile, a supportive conversation, or taking on a major task in order to assist, I frequently observed Ms. Zaideman changing people’s attitudes or improving their day. I know she will take that same energy and compassion and apply it in her classroom. I have every faith that her students will trust her implicitly and benefit from her contagious enthusiasm and kindness.
Thank you for your consideration of Ms. Zaideman for a student teaching position. I have been so fortunate to work with someone who exhibits not only a strong work ethic but also an incredible strength of character. Should you have any questions regarding her candidacy, please do not hesitate to contact me at the information below.
Sincerely,
Amanda Mesirow
Dancer Residence Life Coordinator
University of Northern Iowa
319.273.2376
[email protected]