Student Affairs and Services Office of Cultural and Academic Transitions ‘Student Services Busing 1586 E, Cirle Drive, Room 339 East Lansing, MI 48624-1913 s17-3537745 ocatmsuedu MSL na atma etn, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY April 7, 2019 To Whom It May Concern: Tam writing to share with you the qualities and work ethic that I have witnessed as a direct supervisor of Rachel Sanborn as an Inter-Cultural Aide (ICA) at Michigan State University during the 2017-2018 academic year. The work of an ICA, which is compensated through room and board, includes engaging in outreach to residents and developing genuine relationships, while paying particular attention to reaching out to residents across various lines of difference (gender, ethnicity, class, etc.) and helping residents to connect to one another to build vibrancy in their communities. Additionally, ICAs also work on a teams to research and design soci-cultural weekly conversations called Round Table Discussions (RTDs), that are facilitated in the residence halls that draw in a diverse group of students. In the time that I worked with Rachel, she manifested initiative, attention to detail and dedication. In her work of outreach Rachel excelled. She initiated the development of genuine relationships with residents within the halls from a variety of backgrounds through systematically visiting residents and following up on information she had learned in previous interactions. Many residents responded to that regular demonstration of care and concer by visiting Rachel as well and by shareing when they were really struggling in school or with mental health. Rachel made time for residents in need, sometimes sitting and talking with them for hours to help them feel supported and to learn what resources were best to recommend to a person. Rachel’s attention to detail manifested itself in various ways. In her team work of researching, designing and implementing RTDs, Rachel was always paying attention to what was happening in the news and to what residents are talking about oi concemed about within the halls in order to identify topics that her peers could explore with a diverse group of residents bringing forth a diversity of perspectives. In the design of the RTDs, Rachel was so helpful in thinking through all of the dynamics and logistics that could come up with a particular focus on how to handle transitions in the discussions. This is something that her teammates came to appreciate. One area of initiative and dedication that I saw was her collaboration with her Resident Assistant. While our program encourages robust collaboration, historically it has been difficult for staff to navigate the different expectations and organizational cultures of the two programs. Rachel went about making friends with her RA and checking in regularly to see how they could collaborate on the various initiatives for which they were responsible. Over the course of the year, Rachel and her RA Hannah, had the best working relationship of any ICAVRA that I have supervised in the 5 years I have spent in this position. They put on a number of joint programs that enhanced the living experiences of residents who participated. Itis my honor to recommend her for your consideration. I loved working with Rachel. I could depend on her to meet deadlines, to work with excellence and to ‘communicate any challenges she was having and to be an active participant inany problem solving that was needed. If you have any questions about my recommendation, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, i KB te ate Tiffany Gridiron Toriumi ICA Brody Neighborhood Supervisor