To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter to recommend Alison Lucas to your program with the highest praise. In
August Alison and I were staff members for Land Sea, a pre-orientation backpacking program
for incoming Kalamazoo College freshman. Although I was a guide and Allison a leader, we had
the opportunity to work (and live) closely together. I mentioned to Alison that I was a Teach for
America teacher (7th and 8th special education math) for the last two years and we immediately
began to discuss education in any free time we had.
After I failed to convince Alison to apply for Teach for America it became clear that she had
thought her decision through and was making a wise choice. Alison takes her role as a teacher
very seriously. Hearing her description of tutoring in Kalamazoo schools I knew that her heart
leapt and sunk with every success and failure her mentee experienced. The authenticity behind
Alison’s passion for teaching is something I never expected from someone who was not yet a
teacher. This sincerity assures me more than anything else that Alison is ready to become a
teacher.
In the short time that I have known Alison two events stick out as evidence of her character and
capacity. Early in the program- perhaps the third day- another leader named Claire shared with
our 24-person group that she considered Alison’s attitude to be ‘beautiful.’ It was a touching
moment and one that many people referred to as the high of their 30 day adventure. And Claire
was right. Alison has a warmth and care about her that I have seen very rarely. She is able to
make others feel important and enjoys doing so- an important trait for any teacher.
The second event demonstrates Alison’s commitment to perfection and her ability to work with
others. On LandSea leaders are paired with a co-leader with whom they spend 18 of the 30 days.
These co-leader pairs are the backbone of this hugely successful program. Alison was paired
with a younger co-leader who often was headstrong, not following the lead-from-behind mantra
of LandSea. Seriously talking to a peer about his performance and helping him to improve is not
an easy task. But it was one Alison was capable and willing to complete. She spoke with her co-
leader and with appropriate staff members about the best way to go about fixing things and by
the end of the program the co-leader pair was perfectly on track.
For the past two years I taught in one of the most challenging educational environments in
America. Middle school special education in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is a place that neither
teachers nor students want to be. I understand what it takes to show unflinching care and
commitment to teaching. I saw terrible teachers everyday who underserved their students and
potentially ruined their academic lives. The opportunity to teach young people is one I do not
take lightly. It would be a shame if Alison Lucas did not become a teacher. The love and care in
her heart is immeasurable and her ability to communicate and inspire are invaluable.
I recommend Alison with full confidence. I know that the person I heard listen intently to a very
immature and scared college freshman rambling (without pause) for 45 minutes as I drove them
to their drop-off point will be a great teacher and an asset to your program.

Yours,

Andrew Gray