December 5, 2011

To Nutrition Graduate Program Review Committee:

I highly recommend Kathryn (Katy) Kaufman to the Nutrition Graduate Program at the OSU
School of Biological and Population Health Sciences. I believe she is a strong candidate for your
program based on her initiative, dedication, and versatility. For the past six months I have
supervised her internship at Life Lab Science Program in the Garden Classroom and at the
UCSC Farm.
This summer Katy interned as a Camp Assistant, working daily at our Wildlands & Watering Cans
Summer Day Camp for 7-10 year olds. After completing a brief training, she became an integral
part of summer camp, completing both behind-the-scenes logistical projects and facilitating
hands-on activities for day campers throughout the farm and garden. Katy reliably demonstrated
her flexibility and organizational skills by thoroughly carrying out a multitude of tasks, including
photo documentation, counselor support, activity facilitation, preparation and creation of program
materials, and set-up and clean-up for activities; Katy provided assistance for every aspect of
camp! Her dedication to her internship and our program was made obvious by her ability to
manage her time, while concurrently attending summer school, and maintain enthusiasm around
the campers and her coworkers. She shared her joy of preparing and eating fresh foods, inspiring
many children to taste new fruits and vegetables. Katy grew in confidence as a leader and activity
facilitator, and consistently showed initiative to complete tasks efficiently with minimal or no
supervision.
I was delighted to continue working with Katy this fall in our Seeds of Wonder (SOW) Preschool &
Kindergarten field trip program. She immediately put into practice many of the teaching and group
management techniques she had observed the camp counselors utilize this summer. For
example, one method we condone focuses on acknowledging the details of childrens effort, as
opposed to giving general praises like, good job. I often observed Katy communicating to her
students in ways that promoted their effort, such as when she thanked students for trying new
fruits and vegetables at the harvest station, even if they spit out what they tasted. The fact that
she picked up on these techniques and practiced them with her students shows her willingness to
learn new skills.
I am pleased to have gotten the chance to work with Katy for two seasons, reap the benefits of
her organizational skills, and support her growth as an educator. I believe her strong work ethic
will make her a successful student, and I support her endeavor to learn more about nutrition and
healthy lifestyles. I am available at (831) 459-4035 or gardenclass@lifelab.org to further comment
on Katys qualifications.
Sincerely,

Allison OSullivan
Garden Educator, Life Lab Science Program