1. UNIVERSITY OF
TEXAS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
ARLINGTON
To Whom It May Concem:
I am writing this letter on behalf of Marius Jahre, an incredibly bright student that I had the
pleasure of getting to know a little bit during his studies in the United States during 2015
when he enrolled in my international finance course (ECON 4322).I am writing this letter
to anyone who wishes to learn more regarding this phenomenal young scholar, including
admission committees and prospective employers. Marius was a shooting star, as he was at
my University for only a single semester, yet I interacted with him frequently. I thus feel
that I am uniquely qualified to provide background on Marius, especially as it relates to his
knowledge of international finance and economics.
My upper division level course in international finance is a challenging class, mastered by
few students. The course takes a slightly unconventional approach in integrating daily
readings from business periodicals, such as the l(all Street Journal, into the course
curriculum. This approach has met some resistance, since it implies that successful students
must not only be able to understand standard topics found in an intemational finance
course, including currency arbitrage and covered interest rate parity, but they must also be
able to apply it in the context of problems currency faced by practitioners in the field,
including how monetary policy changes may impact exchange rates. Additionally, students
are required to provide extensive writing samples both on daily problem sets and exams.
Interestingly, it would appear that this type of course was perfect for a student like Marius.
You may note from ocular inspection of his transcript, that Marius aced my class. My
records indicate that he easily eamed the fifth highest grade, an A, in a very large section.
Throughout the course, three things impressed me as it relates to Marius. First, he was
always prepared for the class and engaged. He never showing up tardy or missed any
sessions indicating a level ofprofessional and maturity rare for undergraduate students I
have encountered in the past. Second, he possesses ambition and intelligence, which again,
I witnessed not only through the numerous assignments and exams he turned in throughout
the class, but also by questions and discussions that we had. On his final exam, for
example, Marius provided a flawless explanation in asserting why a depicted time series
plotting a given country's exchange rate matched the definition of a conventional peg
system as defined by the International Monetary Fund. As it relates to this question, I
believe Marius' answer was likely the best I saw. Finally, Marius clearly has an intense
interest in the subject matter. As a recent example, I mentioned in class that I had historical
data on European Union unemployment rates that I was working with that likely had
applications in the context of optimum curency area theory. Marius picked up on this
passing comment and recently asked if I would be would willing to share my data with him
so he could conduct some independent investigation.
The recipient of this letter may be struck that it is somewhat vague. At this stage, Marius is
certain that he wants to continue his studies and work in the area of applied international
finance/economics, although his very bright future has not been completely revealed to him
yet. He is leaving our University after a single semester, and thus has asked if I could
provide a letter for him before he leaves, which I am more than happy to do. If there is any
perception that my comments are not specific enough, please make no mistake. I have an
exceedingly high opinion of Marius and believe that he is well qualified to pursue both
advanced academic studies in the area of intemational business affairs, while also being
well positioned for a career in this area. He is intelligent, incredibly well spoken and

2. professional. He is building an impressive resume as it relates to his studies, and I am
confident his future is a very bright one. Especially in this case, I am happy to provide any
additional detail as it relates to Marius, although I suspect you know by now that I am
happy to recommend him for entrance into advanced, prestigious academic programs, and
for entry to mid-level positions (including internships) at organizations that value talent,
mental alacrity, and ambition. If I can be of any additional assistance, please do not hesitate
to contact me via email at smallwood@uta.edu.
Sincerely
Aaron D Smallwood
Associate Professor of Economics
University of Texas-Arlington
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