December 1, 2016
To the Office of Cultural and Academic Transitions, Intercultural Aide Program:
It is my pleasure to recommend Miss Karrie D. Bell, a current peer mentor and TRIO Student Support Services participant as a candidate for the Intercultural Aide position. I have served in an advising role with Karrie since 2014, when she came to Michigan State University as a summer bridge program student. She started her MSU journey very quiet and shy, however, she has developed into a confident leader and talented artist. Karrie has proven both her interest in and ability to connect with a diverse body of people. Many TRIO students are both first-generation college students and first-generation Americans. Karrie has easily navigated building relationships with students by participating in cultural festivals, collaborative coursework, group activities, and by cultivating individual relationships. In her peer mentor responsibilities, she is always prompt and prepared for business. Karrie is trusted with program support that involves access to confidential student records and shared information, as well as, expanded use of office spaces to facilitate community-building and student success.
She has participated in community service projects with TRIO including making quilts for children, growing starter plants for a local community garden, and walking to raise funds to increase awareness about prevention and cures for breast cancer and HIV/AIDS. She prides herself on community service and has also volunteered with Spartans Rebuilding Michigan and Spartan’s Global Day of Service.
Karrie is a very coachable student and is easy to work with and supervise. She values teamwork, as shown by her outstanding service as a resident peer mentor during the TRIO 2015 Summer Bridge and 2016 early start programs. Karrie was welcoming to the incoming cohorts, she took personal responsibility for their guidance and success during the program, and she generously shared her first-year experiences and was very knowledgeable about campus and community resources to support their success. Her team consistently praised her for her positive and outgoing attitude. She has been integral in planning team-building activities for the groups. Karrie’s work ethic during the summer catapulted her to the position of academic-year peer mentor, a very highly regarded role in my office. In addition, Karrie has represented MSU and TRIO at the annual student leadership conference held by the Michigan Association of College Access Programs & Personnel, where she facilitated college success panels for 100 high-school students and at a graduate school boot camp.
Miss Bell has demonstrated her leadership abilities inside the classroom as well by maintaining a strong grade point average, forging relationships with her professors, and striving to achieve academic honors. She has worked as an assistant stage manager while taking Theater (THR) 300 and displayed original designs for Studio Art courses. Karrie has a very special artistic gift and has created beautiful sketches of both famous people and original high-fashion designs. I believe that she has a bright future in the field of apparel and textile design and I know that she is a wonderful asset to campus units that serve to increase diversity, expand inclusion, and bond the global campus community while encouraging academic excellence and good citizenship. I strongly recommend Karrie Bell without reservation. Thank you for your consideration of this letter; please feel free to contact me at (517) 884-6609 if I can offer any additional support.
Sincerely,
Jamillah Gross-Caldwell, Coordinator
TRIO Student Support Services
E-mail:
Phone: 517-884-6609