1. March 26, 2013
Dear Admissions Committee,
I am writing this letter of recommendation on behalf of my colleague, Kelsey Gernert. It is my belief that
Kelsey would make an excellent candidate to your Masters in Buisness Adminsitration Program because
of her acute attention to detail and meticulous management aesthetics. A leader must possess a sharp
mind, a kind heart, and a commitment to hard work, and my brief time watching Kelsey work convinces
me that she possess all three.
I had the privilege of shadowing Kelsey in my first week on the job. I was immediately struck by how
organized and conscientious her work style was. She greeted everyone, had a conversational rapport with
practically every member of the school staff, and immediately got to work. Despite being rather busy, she
took the time to explain details about the position—and not just a surface understanding of that position—
a deeply intricate breakdown of the importance of our work and how to execute it efficiently. I was struck
by how quickly she was able to portray these aesthetics to me. With only a few words, she was able to
pinpoint my specific trepidations about the position, and provided me with systems that targeted those
perceived faults. She presented me with page after page of highly organized, finely tuned systems
designed with painstaking care to be efficient and effective. She explained each system patiently and
thoroughly, and I remember feeling a tremendous sense of relief not only about the Program Manager
position, but about the organization in general.
Kelsey is patient, thorough, non-judgmental and professional in all aspects of her work. I could tell that
her employees respected her and the students cared about her. I was fortunate enough to see her patience
tried as well. During my day of shadowing, I saw her administer an occurrence to a troubled employee. It
was my first exposure to some of the disciplinary responsibilities of a Program Manager, and this
situation was particularly complex. Despite some troublesome behavior conveyed by the employee in
question, Kelsey kept cool, thoroughly explained the reason for the occurrence, and diligently sought a
resolution. I could not see how that situation could be handled any better, and I give Kelsey all the credit
for staying professional and understanding throughout the ordeal.
Kelsey was really my introduction to the work I am now so proud to be a part of here at City Year. Her
influence on my work and my view of our entire organization cannot be overlooked, and any future
achievement I may have in this position can be partly attributed to the professionalism, organization, and
management aesthetics of Kelsey Gernert.
Sincerely,
Emani W. Jerome
Diplomas Now Program Manager
City Year