Dr. Sonia Fioretti was one of Professor Leopoldo Nuti's best students. She excelled in his undergraduate and graduate courses, passing her final exams with very high marks. For her graduate thesis, Dr. Fioretti demonstrated superb research and analytical skills in tackling a complex topic related to perceptions of enemies. Professor Nuti was impressed with her intelligence and natural aptitude for advanced research. He strongly recommends Dr. Fioretti for employment, describing her as a very smart and pleasant person to work with who is likely more intelligent than she appears.

1. DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZE
POLITICHE
Roma, January 9, 2015
To whom it may concern:
I am writing this letter of reference on behalf of Dr. Sonia Fioretti, who is currently working as an
intern at the IFAD. I have known Miss Fioretti for the past six years, as she attended my
undergraduate course on the history of international relations in the twentieth century in the Fall of
2009. She stood out as one of the best students in the class and passed the final exam with the very
high mark of 28/30.
It was as a graduate student, however, that Dr. Fioretti left on me an indelible impression. First she
took my graduate seminar on contemporary international relations, which she passed with the
highest grade and honors – an achievement that placed her in the cohort of the best 5% graduate
students I have ever had. Then she surprised me even more by writing one of the best graduate
theses I have ever seen. We decided that she would tackle a very complex topic – the perception of
the enemy in Saddam Hussein as it emerges from the scholarly literature that has investigated the
recently captured Iraqi documents. Miss Fioretti demonstrated a superb quality as a researcher by
immediately grasping all the complexities and the nuances in a number of highly sophisticated and
specialized essays. And not only did she effortlessly understood all the intricacies of her topic, she
also delivered a flawlessly written thesis which was a real pleasure to read. In my almost 25 years
as a teacher, I have rarely come across a student with such a brilliant intelligence and an almost
natural penchant for analytical, advanced research.
Miss Fioretti is a very smart, intelligent young woman who will do very well in any context in
which she will be employed. She is also a pleasure to work with, as she is always cheerful and has a
very pleasant, unassuming demeanor that can actually be slightly deceptive: she is a lot smarter than
she may seem. I would not hesitate to employ her in any capacity if I were asked to do so. I strongly
support her in her applications for further employment at IFAD and I will be only too happy to
provide any more confidential reference which may be regarded as necessary
Sincerely
Leopoldo Nuti
Professor of international history
Director, Doctoral School in Political Studies