1. KENNETH CAPPS
4102 Marlborough Ave. #212, San Diego, CA 92105 | (619) 665-8699 | kcapps@mail.sdsu.edu
May 20, 2014
RE: Recommendation for Sultan Aljohani
To the Selection Committee of Glion Institute of Higher Education:
My name is Kenneth Capps, English Instructor at the American Language Institute at San Diego State
University, and I am writing on behalf of Mr. Sultan Aljohani. I have had the distinct pleasure of having
Mr. Aljohani in my classes for about nine months. Since August 2013, the start of fall semester at the
American Language Institute at San Diego State University, Mr. Aljohani attended courses that I taught. In
all of my interactions with him, he has shown himself to be an inquisitive and dynamic individual. It is
with this letter that I recommend him for acceptance to your institution.
All of the courses I teach are for students who, for the most part, are working to matriculate into a U.S.
college or university. As Mr. Aljohani has communicated to me, his goals are quite clear and gaining a
degree from an institution of higher learning is a big part of his larger plan. With that in mind, he has
worked to stay on top of his demanding schedule and to navigate U.S. culture. While attending my courses,
Sultan always had insightful questions and managed to stay engaged with very difficult topics. The focus of
the courses he took with me were on listening and note taking, and these courses required the students to
listen to, take notes on, and analyze a range of academic lectures, complex narrative stories, and multi-
perspective radio news shows. The structure and content was meant to successfully prepare students for the
rigors of the university classroom. In my classes, Sultan always brought an inquiring mind—he always had
intriguing questions and always managed to stimulate great group discussions. His ability to work with his
classmates and dedication to understanding the material seemed secondary only to his warm personality.
In fact when it comes to his personal demeanor, he has been an absolute pleasure to get to know. He brings
a warm smile to every interaction and a kind-hearted manner to the classroom. He also seems to be
recognized by his peers as a helpful and hospitable person. Both students and I have enjoyed getting to
learn more about him as he will engage in conversation outside of class in a manner that is both personal
yet professional. He brings a unique perspective as well and manages to navigate through cultural
differences quite well. Perhaps his greatest quality is in his ability to see the world through an objective
lens where his own culture is as in much need to be investigated as all others. Overall, he has show a lot of
growth both personally and academically as he has often proved in our conversations both in and outside of
the classroom. He is smart, compassionate and engaging and would not be a student to pass up for
admission to your institution.
Again, I highly recommend him for acceptance into your institution. I welcome the opportunity to speak
with you more about Mr. Sultan Aljohani—his qualifications, experience, abilities, and personality. I can
be reached at kcapps@mail.sdsu.edu or at (619) 665-8699.
Best regards,
Kenneth Capps