April 4, 2014 Dear Portfolio Committee, It has been a pleasure to write this letter of professional promise for Theresa

Brostowitz. Theresa is one of the most intentional people I have ever met. Her thoughtful and reflective process about why she is doing something, what is the most efficient way to do it, and how she can partner with others, has led to multiple successes with significant impact on the university community. Her leadership is focused and grounded in holistic values. The student affairs profession will be enhanced by her presence within it. For the past two years, Theresa has been a graduate assistant working as the Lynn Collegium Coordinator in the department of Commuter and Transfer Student Life. The Collegium Coordinator, working with Collegium Community Leaders (student staff), develops a community where commuter students experience a sense of belonging and learn about their academic, social, and spiritual selves within the context of Jesuit values. Theresas community is comprised of first and second year commuters; a population that sometimes feels marginalized on campus. Theresa has built a strong team of competent and caring student leaders and together they have created an authentic home away from home place of belonging for this student community. Theresa operates out of a student-centered perspective. She listens deeply to students and integrates her knowledge of developmental stages with creative thinking about how to best support and challenge them in their personal and professional growth. She does well at navigating being accessible and friendly with the students while also knowing when a professional boundary is necessary. Theresa excels at identifying student needs and completely revamped our Lynn peer mentor program and Welcome Week programming to better connect new commuters to the campus community. Her ability to gather student feedback and generate programs and structures that best support them is a vital skill for student affairs professionals. She also is knowledgeable about how to respond to students of concern in ways that are professional, caring, and helpful. Professional development is a strong passion for Theresa. She consistently looks for ways to learn ways to become a more knowledgeable and effective professional; something that will serve her well in her professional positions. I particularly appreciate how Theresa freely shares learning and resources with her student community, the student leaders she supervises, her peer graduate assistants and the department. She also reaches out to other campus departments to look for ways to collaborate in such activities. This expertise led to her leadership position on a divisional committee creating a new shared student leader training for 400 student leaders. She has also been intentional in learning about retention data gathering and analysis through an internship. Theresa believes in being a culturally competent professional. She has consistently sought out opportunities to learn more about her own social identities, to be in dialogue about differences, and to look through a lens of how privilege and oppression may be operating in situations. Much of this information was new to Theresa when she began her graduate program. It is a testament to her openness to self discovery that she risked being uncomfortable as she navigated a fairly steep learning curve in some areas. She persevered because of her commitment to being an excellent student affairs professional as well as supporting her own personal growth.

Another example of commitment to personal and professional growth has been the significant strides Theresa has made in attending to her own health and wellness. For someone with high standards of excellence, over commitment can become a reality. As a new graduate assistant, Theresa recognized the priority of self-care and became very intentional about creating rhythms and practices that ensure appropriate work/life balance. This has been good modeling for her peers and the students with whom she works. In a profession that often can provide opportunities for imbalance in areas of work and life, Theresas intentionality and commitment in this area will be an important contribution. Theresa is an initiator and often proposes new ways to think about things. She has the ability to creatively brainstorm big picture ideas, the skill to bring them into a micro-level focus, and the ability to be patient with the incremental steps that are often necessary with change. She has been instrumental in helping the university to assess and redesign the best way to have 1st year commuters be part of the Learning Communities that were previously serving only residential students. Theresa approaches a new situation with attentive listening and the ability to ask clarifying questions. She brings an assessment perspective to her work that informs her suggestions for changes. These are critical skills for student affairs professionals. Theresa is a creative and resourceful leader bringing grounding in theory and a thoughtful reflection process to her work with students, staff, and faculty. She is passionate about the value of education and committed to being the best student affairs professional she can be. I am confident that her contributions to the field will have significant impact and enhance the student experience in a multitude of ways. I am grateful for having had the opportunity to work with Theresa Brostowitz. Sincerely,

Diane S. Schmitz, Ed.D. Director, Commuter and Transfer Student Life Seattle University dschmitz@seattleu.edu