Jon Merrill Assistant Resident Director 1032 W Sheridan Rd | Chicago, Illinois 60660 p (773) 508-3680 jmerrill@luc.edu

March 14, 2015

To whom it may concern,

I am writing this letter in support of Andrea De Leon's promise as a professional in higher education. I

have had the pleasure of attending Loyola University Chicago's Higher Education program with

Andrea as well as working alongside her as an Assistant Resident Director (ARD) in Loyola's

Department of Residence Life. In both of these roles I have had the opportunity to grow beside her and

have watched as she has made meaning of why she wants to be a higher education professional.

Overall, Andrea has cultivated meaningful relationships with the students and peers she works with as

well as demonstrated a passion for research. These qualities she possess contribute to her promise as a

professional.

My earliest interactions with Andrea was working alongside her as a member of the Simpson Hall

professional staff. In this role, Andrea created strong and meaningful connections with her student

staff members. The value of care was clearly evident in her work - she regularly sacrificed her own

time in order to make sure that her staff felt supported. She extended this ethic of going the extra mile

to her administrative responsibilities as well. Andrea also did a great job of supporting her ARD peers.

During the transition into my role as an ARD, Andrea was very open to debriefing common

experiences and obstacles that we faced. Within the larger Residence Life community, Andrea

continually strives to make sure that her voice and opinions are heard. In these settings, she offers

crucial input.

Andrea's administrative strength and her dedication to supporting her peers and students assists her in

successfully fulfilling her role as an ARD. However, I think it is in her role as a scholar that her

passion for higher education truly emerges. Throughout our time together in this program Andrea has

been a critical consumer of our education and has sparked class discussions. This year, I worked with

Andrea on a semester-long evaluation project. Throughout this project I witnessed her intellectual

curiosity and passion for discovering new knowledge. She brought a critical eye to our project and

challenged both of us to continually refine what we were trying to assess. By joining a research team,

Andrea has found a vehicle to express this passion. For me, it has been a powerful experience being

able to work with someone who shares an interest in the research side of higher education.

In sum, Andrea cares deeply about her work as a higher education professional. She has served many

roles throughout her time in this program and in each role she has put effort into to going above and

beyond. Her commitment to her work and intellectual curiosity are strengths that she will bring with

her to this field. Watching Andrea has inspired me to go above and beyond in my various roles as well.

As such, I am honored to call Andrea both my friend and professional colleague, and I look forward to

seeing her impact within higher education.

Sincerely,

Jon Merrill Assistant Resident Director Northside Area Loyola University Chicago M.Ed. Higher Education 15