Smart Andrew Chaves

December 2, 2009 SMART Scholarship 1818 N. St. NW Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 To Members of the Selection Committee: Mr. Andrew Chaves requested that I write a letter of recommendation on his behalf and I do so without reservation. Andrew is currently a member of my honors English composition course. I primarily teach English courses for the honors college and a significant number of my students are Engineering and science majors. My course is a rhetorically based writing course that requires the students to demonstrate higher order critical thinking skills, the ability to write proposals, writing skill sets that can be applied to public writing as well as research based writing. Andrew is also a co-investigator for “Sony Electronic Research Project: New Frontiers of Reading.” I serve as a Principal Investigator for the project. Andrew is one of those rare students that studies for the love of learning. He is a focused, dedicated student that is able to apply theory to practice. He actively engages in class discussions, works well with groups and demonstrates excellent writing skills and a clear understanding and appreciation for the sciences. Andrew is clearly committed to the field of engineering. His papers reflect his knowledge and interest in his chosen field of study. Comparing Andrew to other members of the class (all honor students) he ranks in the top one percent of the students. He has an expansive base of general knowledge and excellent critical thinking skills. The students in my course participate in group projects and I have observed that Andrew is able to move in and out of group leadership roles with ease. I am convinced that Andrew deserves scholarship support. He has an outstanding work ethic and will prove his worth both in and out of the classroom. Andrew has the intellectual, emotional and social maturity to be an outstanding scholar. Andrew has my highest recommendation. If I can answer any additional questions please do not hesitate to contact me at 814-865-4383 or email me at [email protected]. Sincerely yours, Diana Roberts Gruendler Lecturer Department of English The Pennsylvania State University