University of Nebraska at Kearney
Department of History
March, 2009

  
To Whom It May Concern: 

            It is my pleasure to recommend to you Ms. Sarah Graves. I have known Ms. Graves as an excellent undergraduate student who attended UNK on a national student exchange, and then as an equally outstanding graduate student when she returned to UNK to join the Masters Degree program. She served as my graduate assistant over the Fall semester of 2008. As the faculty advisor to our local chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national History Honor Society, I had the privilege to work with Sarah as she served as Historian to the chapter, editor of our newsletter, and as an effective officer and leader of the chapter activities. I would rate Ms. Graves in the top 5% of all of the students I have worked with in the UNK graduate program. 

            As my graduate assistant for a US Survey course, Sarah initiated and fully developed a student engagement program entitled the “Coryell College Cup Challenge.” The object was to construct non-graded incentives to encourage students to become more engaged with the campus environment in ways that would ultimately help them become better students. Sarah engineered an imaginative and successful program of competitive awards, shared email information lists, integrated campus activities, and direct student engagement, that succeeded in motivating students to broaden their campus experiences and relate that to skills which helped them succeed in class. Ms. Graves executed this program in addition to fulfilling all of her regular Graduate Assistant duties, and attending to her studies. Truly an exceptional effort, and so much so, that she and I are collaborating on an article manuscript narrating and analyzing the experience as a model for the Student Services community. 

            Ms. Graves is an intelligent, mature, and hard-working individual who has a wonderful imagination coupled with a demonstrated ability to design and successfully complete a task. Sarah’s wit and collegiality are assets that make her a valued team member, and her independence and strength of character insure that she is a natural team leader. The detailed list of her specific accomplishments and awards in her vita are sufficient to demonstrate that she will be a desirable employee. Her character, integrity, and personality will make her a cherished colleague.           
            I highly recommend Ms. Sarah Graves for whatever professional position she seeks and will be glad to respond to whatever questions may arise in the process. 

Sincerely, 

Dr. Roger P. Davis
Professor of History
University of Nebraska at Kearney