as Department of Sociology & Anthropology Faculty of Arts MOUNT ROYAL 1.403.440.6425 | f, 403.440.8420 ONIVERSETY mivoyalea March 20, 2015 To Whom it May Concern, My name is Tracy Nielsen. | am an Associate professor at Mount Royal University. former student, Emily Reisenleiter, has asked me to provide an academic reference to use in her teaching portfolio. | couldn't be happier to oblige Emily's request as she is among the more intelligent and compassionate students | have had the privilege of teaching. Importantly, she has chosen to put her gifts and skills to use towards the crucial profession of teaching. As a teacher myself for over two decades, | am happy to offer a few words of support for Emily as | think she will make a fine teacher! had to sum it up in a few words, | would say that Emily Reisenleiter is serious, compassionate and open-minded. Highly intelligent and motivated, she is an A student. She always puts her best foot forward and works very hard. She has an understanding of a number of world views and this is because she isa very deep listener. She is serious about becoming a teacher and when I saw her potential (and recognized her true motivation) | offered to witness for her in the form of a letter should she ever apply to teach ina school. Emily and | made a strong connection in a course I teach that focuses heavily on education and socialization called "The Socialized Self’. This isa very intense course based on dialogue and on looking deeply at our social conditioning and this is where | truly discovered Emily’s potential. Because Emily iss open minded and willing to confront difficult topics, | found myself drawing on her passion for teaching many times in the class and also on her leadership role inthe dialogue. | also found Emily's equanimity and kindness to be a huge benefit to all of us. She is a deep listener and observer of social interaction but she never needs to be the center of attention. Emily considers many points of view and is not at alin need of defending her opinion. While this may seem unnecessary detail, we all know that these are qualities we look for in teachers I have met few as capable as Emily when it comes to transfer of knowledge and unification of the curriculum, Her written and oral work reveal the depth of her commitment to learning. Emily is 2 keen ‘observer of micro social interaction but she never loses sight of the macro forces operating in society, Sociology will serve her well in her chosen profession. Emily excels in all areas of academia as her transcripts attest. But in my view, itis the holistic way that she approaches all areas of academia (and life in general) that is such rare and cherished quality. And in closing | would say that Emily Reisenleiter isa very likeable young woman and morally upstanding human being. | am very fortunate to have had ‘the opportunity to influence her with our dialogic style of class that focuses on relationship. She is outstanding with young people and just seems to understand and care about people deeply. | wish Emily all the good fortune in her chosen career as a teacher and | know our children will be in good hands in her classes. Sincerely, of Tracy Nielsen (PhD) mo Ny h— 4825 Mount Royel Gate SW Calgary, AB, Canads T3E 6KB