April 23, 2012 ‘To Whom It May Concer. “This is a letter of recommendation for Jarrod William Bennett whom I recommend whole- heartedly and without reservation. Mr. Bennett was in my Acting I class in the Fall of 2011. He is bright, talented, and a natural leader to whom others look for guidance. Unlike many other classes, an acting class, because of its interactive nature, needs to function as a cohesive group. ‘The faster it glues itself together the quicker it can begin to function as a unit. Of course an instructor facilitates this process, but when an individual student or two steps forward to assume a leadership role the process happens much faster. Mr. Bennett was that student leader who carried the class pretty much on his shoulders the first several weeks until others begin to realize ‘what was happening and stepped forward to join him in that role. Once the others joined in, he took a few steps backward to allow them to participate more fully. “The other students respected his opinions and the encouragement he offered. He has a quiet unassuming manner which makes him very popular with other students. I appreciated him because his instincts are almost always on target, and acting, when all is said and done, is a very intuitive process. No matter what I asked that class to do, he volunteered early and often demonstrating the idea I was presenting that day. On top of all of this he is a genuinely nice guy. He is the kind of student an instructor cherishes in an “open classroom” situation. He leads where needed, and falls back and allows others to shine when they “catch up.” He has my highest recommendation and I will be most willing to discuss his work further with anyone who has a need to know about him. Sincerely, Robert A. Gaines Ph.D.