Box 43091 | Lubbock, Texas 79409-3091 | 806.742.

2501

An EEO/Affirmative Action Institution
Department of English

April 16, 2014

Dear Hiring Committee:

I am pleased to recommend Ashley Michulka for a writing or editing position in your
company. Ive known Ashley since Fall 2012 when she enrolled in my Advanced
Composition course (ENGL 4360). In Fall 2013, she took my Rhetorical Criticism
course (ENGL 3362). She did well in both classes. Rhetorical Criticism focuses on
higher-order thinking and analytical skills and specifically how written and visual
communication can be used to persuade, deceive, inform and/or make meaning.
Advanced Composition focuses on developing reasoning skills, identifying logical
fallacies, and making persuasive arguments in writing and other modes. Both courses
are writing intensive, so I got to know Ashleys writing pretty well. I came away with
a positive view of Ashleys writing and thinking abilities.

Ashley was a pleasure to have in both classes. She is a model student: attentive,
motivated, and curious to learn. She asks good questions and thinks critically and
creatively. Whether she knew it or not, she often elevated class discussions with her
professional attitude and intelligent responses and questions. Ashley is also
personable, friendly, and outgoing.

Ive reviewed some of the feedback I gave to Ashley on her major assignments.
Overall, I found Ashleys writing to be above average to excellent. On her first
assignment in Rhetorical Criticism, she received one of the highest grades in the class
at 97%. I was impressed by the way she made the organization of her ideas seem
natural and seamless. I wrote: Your essay is excellent. It flows so well and builds
naturally from paragraph to paragraph, starting with Aristotle and then moving into
what rhetoric means in the present. You rely appropriately on external sources but
also put ideas in your own words. The questions you ask in the first paragraph
suggest to me that you have a good handle on the subject because you are able to
summarize the key questions for rhetorical criticism in your own words. In my
comments on another assignment from this class, I praised Ashley as a a good writer
and strong thinker. I also called her prose style accessible, which is a quick way of
saying that Ashley writes in a way that can be easily understand by a general audience.

I also offered suggestions to Ashley on things that she could do to improve her
writing, such as watching out for very long sentences and using more sources to back
up uncertain claims. But overall, I believe that Ashley has a good grasp of the
fundamentals and an eagerness to improve. I expect Ashley to be an asset to
whichever organization is lucky enough to hire her.

Box 43091 | Lubbock, Texas 79409-3091 | 806.742.2501

An EEO/Affirmative Action Institution

If you have questions about this recommendation, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,





Sean Zdenek, PhD
Associate Professor
Associate Director of Graduate Studies
Technical Communication & Rhetoric
sean.zdenek@ttu.edu