Armah Shiancoe is highly recommended for his academic leadership and service. He excelled as a peer facilitator in a university transition program, demonstrating superior ability to lead discussion groups and connect with students. He also helped prepare and present a chapter at an international psychology conference. Students commented that Armah provided insightful perspectives as a panelist discussing blending experiences. Armah is described as an exceptionally intelligent, insightful, and well-liked person and leader.

1. December 2, 2012
To whom it may concern,
I am pleased to have the opportunity to highly recommend Armah Shiancoe to you. I first met
Armah in 2007 when he was enrolled in one of my psychology courses. At that time, I regarded
him to be an exceptionally intelligent and insightful person. Since then he has worked in a
program that I direct, and he has confirmed my initial impression of him. He excels in academic
leadership and service to the community.
Armah was a peer-facilitator in the Transition to University program that I co-direct through the
Psychology Department at Queens. In this program, he met weekly with a group of seven to ten
Queens’ first-year students and was a co-facilitator for the discussion of normative issues that
first-year students face. For example, session topics often include conversations regarding
previous social ties, developing new social ties, and managing peer pressure. He also was
enrolled in a course that focused on the facilitation of group dynamics. During this two-year
experience, he demonstrated a superior ability to lead this group and to interact with his co-
facilitator. I was very impressed with the quality of his connection with the members of his
group, and the group members rated his leadership skills as excellent. He demonstrated a
superior ability to lead his groups and he was central in making this program a success.
During his experience with the Transition to University Program, Armah helped lead our
symposium at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, an international
psychology conference. In preparation for the symposium, Armah helped prepare one of the
chapters of our handout, and during the symposium, he presented that section. Armah’s
knowledge of the program and presentation of the information was excellent and very
professional. He did an outstanding job at a conference where few graduate students have the
opportunity to present their work much less undergraduate students.
This fall I asked Armah to be a panelist to talk with students in my cap-stone course in
psychology. Armah explained how he had blended his previous group dynamics experiences and
his Business degree. He also talked with them about the very successful program that he is a part
of a Central Piedmont Community College. Following the panel, several students commented
that Armah’s insights had helped clarify issues that they were facing.
On a personal note, Armah is a delightful person who was very well-like by the Queens’ faculty.
He was also well-like by the other students who looked to him as a leader.
I give Armah Shiancoe my highest recommendation. Please feel free to contact me with any
questions you may have (704-337-2300; allegrec@queens.edu ).
Best regards,
Christine Allegretti, Ph.D.
Chair and Professor, Department of Psychology