1. To Whom It May Concern,
Dear Interviewing Committee Members:
It is with great pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation for Michael Weddington, a
person whom I have known since primary school, as a personal friend and fellow Educator. I
highly recommend him for your opening at for your distinguished institution.
Michael is one of the most knowledgable and critically intelligent individuals I have had the
pleasuring of knowing over the past 20 years. I consider him a visionary thinker who excels at
communicating, both verbally and in written form. Michael’s work and study has taken him on
various pathways over the past 25 years, but all have helped him in synthesizing his focus on the
career, social, psychological, and educational development of the young adult student and his/her
individual personhood. His research interests have recently culminated into the development of
a curriculum for high school, college level, and adult individuals with the intent of facilitating
their successful transition into college, careers, and adulthood in general.
While my own research work in cultural anthropology has been focused on race, class, ethnicity,
and gender, and as a Student Development professional within Student Affairs for 20 years, I
have been interested in student development models and the research that supports educators
such as myself who work with college level students. Research that provides students with
cultural competency, interpersonal skill development, and a understanding of the importance of
integrity, critical thinking, and lifelong learning and service. I strongly believe that Michael is
focused on areas that can be developed as innovative support services and curriculum for higher
education or high school and I think it would also be useful for Student Affairs professionals to
use modules of his topics to provide to their students they routinely work with.
Michael has the innate people skills and analytical, theoretical, and practical understandings to
be both an excellent faculty instructor and program manager at the college level, in providing the
broadest possible access in individualized formats with respect to both college and career
exploration, and with respect to financial aid assistance of all kinds.
Lastly, Michael possesses important “real-life” experiences relevant to successfully executing
the tasks mentioned just above. I value Michael’s unwavering work ethic and his intellectual
Laney College
Office of the Vice President of
Student Services
900 Fallon Street • Oakland,
California 94607
Tel. (510) 464-3214 • Fax (510) 986-
6957
www.peralta.edu

2. curiosity which drives him towards excellence in this field of endeavor. As a fellow educator, I
have benefitted greatly from his academic researches and our periodic discussions. With all of
this in mind, I urge you to consider Michael Weddington as someone who will bring a rare
combination of experience, personal integrity, creativity, and vision to your position in question.
Please do not hesitate to contact me directly should you require any additional information. You
may reach me at cell # 530.304.0875.
Very truly yours,
DONALD B. SAOTOME MOORE, PH.D.
INSTRUCTOR, DEPT. OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY