Jon Merrill Assistant Resident Director 1032 W Sheridan Rd | Chicago, Illinois 60660 p (773) 508-3680 jmerrill@luc.edu

March 12, 2015

To whom it may concern,

I am writing this letter in support of Lisa Rogers' promise as a professional in higher education. I have

had the pleasure of attending Loyola University Chicago's Higher Education program with Lisa as well

as working alongside her as an Assistant Resident Director (ARD) in Loyola's Department of

Residence Life. In both of these roles I have had the opportunity to overcome obstacles and grow

beside her and have watched as she has made meaning of why she wants to be a higher education

professional. Overall, Lisa has demonstrated a profound vulnerability and commitment to social justice

as a student and professional staff member. These, and many other, qualities that she possess

contribute to her promise as a professional.

One of my earliest interactions with Lisa was working with her in our Multiculturalism for Social

Justice course. The project we worked on required us to co-write a research paper regarding

multiracial student populations and co-facilitating a dialogue with our peers regarding identity.

Working with Lisa was a formative experience that I highly value. In our partnership, Lisa role-

modeled vulnerability and challenged me to dig deeper into how my identities intersected with our

research topic. In our dialogue, Lisa also critically challenged our peers to develop a deeper

understanding of their identities. This skill peeling back the layers and challenging herself and others

to grasp the deeper meaning of the issue at hand is one that she has continually demonstrated

throughout our program.

Lisa incorporates this critical lens and vulnerability in her role as an ARD. These traits combine and

contribute to one of Lisa's most powerful additions to our staff: Lisa is not afraid to share the

unpopular or difficult point of view. Worded differently, she takes risks and expresses the voice that

needs to be heard in a conversation. These silenced opinions may have been ones that others myself

included were previously unwilling to share. In other words, her vulnerability in these instances

encouraged me and others within our group to let ourselves be heard. This is one of the qualities I most

admire about Lisa. Additionally, Lisa serves as one of the cornerstones of our ARD and cohort

community. In a field where sub-groups naturally form, Lisa has done a phenomenal job of staying

connected with and connecting various sub-groups within our larger community. This dedication to

connecting with her peers is only one demonstration of her commitment to inclusion.

In sum, Lisa brings a critical vulnerability to her work as a higher education professional. She has

served many roles throughout her time in this program, and in each she has infused these qualities.

Amongst all of our peers, Lisa has continually challenged me to be more. As such, I am honored to

call Lisa both my friend and professional colleague, and I look forward to seeing her impact within

higher education.

Sincerely,

Jon Merrill Assistant Resident Director Northside Area Loyola University Chicago M.Ed. Higher Education 15