www.mountunion.

edu

February 2019

To whom it may concern:

I am pleased to write this letter of reference for Ms. Courtney Cepec for her professional teaching file. In
my capacity as her academic advisor and teacher, I can attest to Ms. Cepec’s abilities as a thinker, writer
and communicator, her professionalism and demeanor, and her organizational skills and work habits, all
of which make her an ideal future teacher.

As her cumulative grade point average of 3.67 demonstrates, Ms. Cepec is, by anyone’s standards, a
successful student. She is committed and capable and has passion for literature, for education, and for
teaching. I quick look at her transcript reveals the range and depth of what she’s accomplished in the
English Department: she’s built foundational knowledge in literature (British and American); she’s
developed expertise in literatures for specific and diverse audiences (Adolescent Literature, Native
American Literature, Modernism/Postmodernism, and Global Anglophone Literature); she’s also
developed a keen awareness of craft, rhetoric, grammar, and writing research methods (she successfully
completed a Writing minor—a tough task for education candidates). Moreover, Ms. Cepec has
consistently been at the top of her class: she’s successfully earned a B or higher in all sixteen English and
writing courses; and she’s earned dean’s list status every semester.

Ms. Cepec constantly strives to achieve a higher bar than her peers. I have been her advisor for all four of
her years at Mount Union. She’s organized--she had her eight-semester schedule planned out in our first
advising meeting; she’s driven--she successfully passed the university’s second-year writing and speaking
proficiency portfolio after her first year; she’s also passionate and caring and willing to be in the front of
the line if there’s an issue worth fighting for—her recent work on and presentations about diversity,
inclusion and empowerment in pedagogy at national conferences with her peers and mentor, Dr.
Jennifer Martin, attest to this drive to make teaching matter and to make the classroom a better place.

Moreover, I’ve seen her attitude and work ethic play out in class. I had the privilege of having Ms. Cepec
as a student in two instances: in our introductory course for the English major, as a first-year student,
and in an upper-division course on visual rhetoric and document design, in her senior year. In both
courses, she showed a real dedication and commitment to learning. In addition to a strong work ethic,
Ms. Cepec possesses an extraordinary commitment to quality of thought and expression. English and
writing courses focus on developing a broad and deep knowledge of key rhetorical and literary ideas and
Department of English
1972 Clark Avenue • Alliance, OH 44601 • (330) 823-2397 • FAX (330) 823-3363
concepts, as well as thorough analysis and expression through writing. And Ms. Cepec excelled in this
environment. Through her coursework, she has developed an acute awareness of the importance of
critical thinking, problem solving, and written and oral communication in her academic, personal and
professional life. In my classes, she approached the course content with a keen curiosity; she was not
only prepared for class every day but also attentive and willing to share her opinions and perspectives
with the class. Her comments in class were always appropriate, well-planned, and intelligent. In short,
she showed herself to be a responsible classroom citizen.

Without a doubt, Ms. Cepec will inspire her students to see reading and writing as an integral part of
their language arts experience. What’s more, she will be an advocate for them and teach them how to
be self-advocates and take an active role in their own education. In many ways, she is a model student,
as well as a model future educator. If you have any questions or wish to discuss Ms. Cepec’s character or
potential further, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at 330-823-4792 [office] or via e-mail at
dickrf@mountunion.edu.

Sincerely,

Dr. Rodney F. Dick

Professor of English

Department of English
1972 Clark Avenue • Alliance, OH 44601 • (330) 823-2397 • FAX (330) 823-3363