February 20, 2017

Dear Student Leadership Awards Selection Committee:

Im writing this letter of recommendation for Rodolfo (Rudy) Correa Abogado,

who I would like to nominate for the Maverick Spirit Student Leadership
Award. Rudy is a Senior, completing his major in Food Science and
Technology, with a minor in Food and Nutrition. In addition, Rudy is part of the
universitys Honors Program. I am the Honors Program Director and serve as
one of Rudys academic advisors.

Rudy is a pioneer and a true maverick. He doesnt take the ordinary route
but constantly looks for opportunities to learn more. He is a self-starter and
creates real positive impact around him. For example, Rudy says that his
proudest contribution as a campus leader was to lead a fundraiser for the
International Student Association, called OMG - Oh My Guacamole,
collaborating with two other individuals. The fundraiser was successful and he
was able to generate over $1,000 towards scholarships for the MSU student
community. While others have big dreams, Rudy is willing to take risks and
make them a reality.

Rudy has invested a lot of time and effort into improving the campus
experiences for a wide variety of students. Hes worked as a Student Mentor
at the Educational Talent Search Office since 2014 supervising weekend-long
educational field trips and college visits for high school students and
encouraging low-income, first-generation high school students to seek college
education. In addition, he served as the Mavericks After Dark Chair for the
Student Events Team from 2014 to 2015. During this time, he programmed
eight multicultural late-night events on-campus, each attracting over 350
students, while managing the programs budget and negotiating partnerships
with local businesses.

Another example of Rudys investment in making the campus a positive

community for students is his extensive work with international students on
campus, through his student worker position at the Kearney International
Center and volunteering as a tutor in the Intensive English Language
Institute. Rudy is bilingual in Spanish and English and advocates for the value
of learning other languages and better understanding other cultures.

In accordance with our universitys mission for students to go further than

they thought possible, Rudy has also pushed himself through service abroad
opportunities. He volunteered in a work-study exchange at Abrahams Hostel
in Jerusalem as well as through the WWOOF-USA organization at three
different organic farms in Hawaii and one in Seattle.

You could not find a person more committed to realizing the meaning of the
Maverick Spirit award, namely who is willing to step-up and take risks for the
betterment of the MSU, Mankato community, than Rudy. This is why I am
very enthusiastically recommending Rodolfo (Rudy) Correa Abogado for the
Maverick Spirit Student Leadership Award. Please let me know if theres
anything else I can do to help you with your decision.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Anne Dahlman, Ph.D.

Honors Program Director
Professor of K-12 and Secondary Programs
Minnesota State University, Mankato
265 Morris Hall
507-389-5703