17 Whittaker Court Wayne,

NJ 07470 March 21,

2017

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing this letter of reference on behalf of Kaitlin Stellingwerf, a clinical intern
from Seton Hall University that I supervised this past semester as she did her student teaching,
and I do so with a great deal of pride and joy. I have known Kait for more than two years,
having supervised her when she did her sixty-hour internships and again this past semester. In
my previous role in education, I was involved in the hiring of teachers, and I say with complete
veracity that I would have hired Kait after the first time I observed her. She exudes a special
warmth that has a tremendous impact on her students in a positive way, creating a non-
threatening environment in her classroom. I honestly look forward to observing Kait in the
classroom because I feel so good afterwards. Something that truly impressed me about Kait is
that this past semester, while doing her student teaching, she worked with both sophomores and
seniors, and she was in complete control of her classes, even though she was only a few years
older than the seniors. She displayed a great deal of maturity, composure, preparation, and
knowledge of her subject matter, and watching her work with her students gave me a great deal
of joy.
On another note, Kait has displayed a tremendous work ethic since Ive known her. Her
lesson plans are diverse and comprehensive, and she makes excellent use of technology in the
classroom, affording all of her students the opportunity for success. Kait has made such an
impression on me over the last two years that I nominated her for the prestigious 2017 New
Jersey Distinguished Clinical Intern Award, given by the New Jersey Department of Education.
If there is a person who is truly deserving of this award, it is Kait.
Throughout my career, I would get so much joy when I would see students achieve, and
Kait has given me this joy. I give her my highest recommendation with no reservations
whatsoever. The school district that hires Kait will be that much better for it. If you have any
questions about Kait, please call me at 973-747-9280. Thank you.
Sincerely,

Thomas F. Killeen, Ed.D.

Supervisor
Seton Hall University