February 11, 2020

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to recommend to you Ms. Brigid Clark for the Robie Gold Medal Senior Award. I
have been one of Ms. Clark’s faculty instructors while she has been enrolled in the College of
Nursing at the University of Arizona. Ms. Clark has been a wonderful, knowledgeable, and
compassionate nursing student who is going to make a phenomenal nurse in the near future.

Ms. Clark came to the University of Arizona from a small town in Lake Fox, Illinois. As a first-
generation student, her desire was to come to a highly reputable nursing school and make a
life-long career of giving back to her community. As she states, “nursing chose me” and as a
result she has the ability and or opportunity to positively impact the life of another person on a
daily basis. She is very passionate about supporting patient advocacy and will go above and
beyond to help those that cannot help themselves. This in itself speaks volumes of her
character.

Ms. Clark wants to pursue a career in the Peace Corps shortly after graduating in May 2020. She
is drawn towards helping the community that we live in and supporting both underserved and
underrepresented populations. This is something that is truly needed in our country. By joining
the Peace Corps, she will be touching those at a local, National and International level. The self-
sacrifice that someone needs to make to help others in this manner is beyond words, but
speaks to her humility as a person and how she puts the needs of others before her own.

Ms. Clark was recently crown Homecoming queen for 2019 – 2020. She has been part of the Chi
Omega Sorority and has been involved in many on-campus events during her time here. She
has been both the Director and Vice President of The Friendship and Social Committee for her
sorority demonstrating her leadership capabilities. She has also been the on-campus
ambassador program coordinator for Sumits Yoga of Tucson. She has done this while
maintaining a very high academic standing within the rigorous nursing program here at the
College of Nursing.

Ms. Clark has also been part of a The Arizona Nursing Inclusive Excellence Grant that helps to
serve First-Generation Students, Students living in rural areas, Hispanic Students and Native
American Students. Being a part of the program has helped to her grow as both a person and a
future nurse. It included several hours a month in additional workshops or seminars that
required mandatory attendance and an 8-week summer intensive that she was faithful in
attending. This demonstrated her dedication and loyalty. She also became a peer mentor to
other students as part of this program, which demonstrated her initiative to help others, not
because she had to help, but because she wanted the students to succeed. She also
demonstrated her leadership skills by helping to teach a group of middle school students from
Pharmacy Camp, over the summer, about opioid overdose in a mock-code simulation scenario.
With the opioid epidemic at an all-time high – this was particularly important to reach people in
our community that this could affect. Her ability to reach and engage these students was very
powerful and rewarding.
Ms. Clark’s overall character is her most notable. She has a smile that lights up the room as
soon as she walks in a room. This smile has helped to ensure trust, which is one of the main
characteristics a nurse needs to possess to have a meaningful relationship with her patients.
The patient has to feel they can trust those who are providing care to them and Ms. Clark
demonstrates integrity openly. She has a very positive attitude and looks at life with the “cup
half full” approach. She always seems to find the best in things and is often the one that turns
the atmosphere in the room to one that is much more positively energized. Ms. Clark will
someday in the near future not only be an excellent nurse, but she will also be a leader in the
field. She has the drive and the initiative to move forward ideas that will not just benefit her,
but the majority of others. She will be the person that will “pay it forward”.

I hope you will give Ms. Clark the opportunity to be recognized for all the great work she has
done already as a student and inspire to continue to do great things for our future. Ms. Clark
has been a pleasure to teach and is one that can serve as a role model for other underserved
students and all that they can accomplish if given the opportunity. Thank you for the
opportunity to give recognition to this student.

Sincerely,
Linda Perez
Linda Perez, M Admin, RNC
Senior Lecturer
College of Nursing, University of Arizona
ljperez@email.arizona.edu
520-591-9757 (cell)