LetteR of RecommendatIon

maRketIng - communIcatIon - deSIgn

aRRen LLISon

contact me:
email darrenallison1@gmail.com mobile +1(620) 680-0634 website truthordarren.com

December 29th, 2011 To whom it may concern,

When Kansas State University senior Darren Allison asked me to write a character reference letter, I knew this would be a pleasure and honor. There have been few students like him who I have met and worked with during my 35 years at the university. My home is two blocks from campus and across the street from the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity house, so he and I have been neighbors since his freshman year. Darren was elected a student senator, and Im the Faculty Senate representative to Student Senate, therefore we work together every Thursday evening at Student Senate meetings. Finally, he was elected a K-State Student Ambassador last year to represent the nearly 24,000 other students at alumni, student recruitment and university events. I work at the Alumni Association which arranged his appearances at these events and I witnessed that side of his service and character. Simply stated, the bottom line if you will, Darren Allison is a total package. Let me tell you why I believe that. I first met Darren, then a pea green freshman, at a Lambda Chi dinner to which I was invited. As we sat next to each other, he carried on a conversation with me unlike most freshmen. He asked questions and showed a genuine interest in the advancement work I do for K-State. Most freshmen are somewhat hesitant to converse with faculty and staff, but not Darren. In succeeding years, it was clear he was comfortable visiting with other people. His smile and genuineness are disarming. At Student Senate, the elected students are empowered by the university administration to allocate many millions of dollars of student fees to worthy services and events to support campus student life activities. Students write and present bills and resolutions to be considered, debated and approved by a vote of the Senate. I have watched and listened as Darren shined in this capacity, demonstrating again his articulate speaking abilities, good interpersonal skills and keen thought processes. Ive talked about what he is like one-on-one and in a group setting, and then I witnessed him before large groups of alumni speaking on behalf of the entire student body. He did that with ease and grace. I recall the day he came to my campus office after his election to discuss a speech and PowerPoint presentation he was putting together when appearing at alumni events. He wanted to incorporate K-State history and traditions, old times compared to today. His thesis and ideas were perfect for the audience to whom he would be addressing. I pointed him to sources of information and photographs that he could include in his PowerPoint presentation. As I said, Ive not met and known many K-Students like him in my 35 years. If I appear to hold Darren in high esteem, I do. I can say he conducts himself in the best possible manner. He illustrates good time management skills and a work ethic to perform all these accomplishments. I observed how he shows more maturity, professionalism and initiative than many of his peers. He has an outgoing, friendly personality that allows him to fit in well with an individual, team or a large group. I urge you to give him your full consideration. If you have any specific questions about Darrens qualifications, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely,

Tim Lindemuth

Editor, K-Stater magazine tlindemuth@k-state.com 785.532.5061

LetteR of RecommendatIon

maRketIng - communIcatIon - deSIgn

aRRen LLISon

contact me:
email darrenallison1@gmail.com mobile +1(620) 680-0634 website truthordarren.com

January 25th, 2012 To whom it may concern, I am pleased to serve as a reference for Darren Allison as I believe he is an exceptional young man who has proven to be an effective and outstanding student leader for Kansas State University. As president and CEO of the K-State Alumni Association, I have the privilege of working with many students on our campus through various programs and speaking engagements. I have found Darren to be one of the most outstanding, sincere, and memorable student representatives I have observed in the past 32 years. When I was introduced to Darren his freshman year, he made an immediate impression with his engaging personality and ability to relate to people of any age. This was the most important trait as he assumed the role of campus tour guide, a position which utilized his exceptional public relations skills to represent K-State to prospective students and their families. Darren excelled in this rold as he was not only personable, but organized and knowledgeable. He enthusiastically prepared and worked hard to grasp a thorough and complete understanding of the history, traditions, and strengths of our university. From 2009-2011, Darren worked directly with the staff of the Alumni Association to promote membership in our student organization, Wildcats Forever. His marketing and communication skills were vital to the growth and success of our programming efforts to reach the student body and we set record membership numbers these two years. The program continues to grow today due to strategies implemented during Darrens years of involvement. Darren equally impressed his peers as in 2010, following a rigorous selection process, he was selected by the student body to serve as the K-State Student Ambassador. It was wonderful to observe his personal growth during his year as ambassador. From interaction with prospective students, to alumni, to members of the universitys Central Administration, Darren proved to be an articulate, caring, and capable individual. His public speaking presentation was very good from the start, but became more polished and professional as the year progressed. He proved to be a special person that members of the audience would just naturally gravitate to. As Ive shared, I continue to be extremely impressed with the attributes Darren demonstrates and I am confident that he will be a valuable asset to your organization. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss my observations in greater detail. I can be reached by phone (785) 532-5050, or via e-mail at arenz@k-state.com. Sincerely,

Amy Button Renz 76 86

K-State Alumni Association President & CEO arenz@k-state.com 785.532.5050