This letter provides a strong recommendation for Kyle who worked as an interpreter at Pocahontas State Park through the Virginia Service and Conservation Corps. Kyle taught hundreds of elementary school students about the park's habitats and animals through engaging presentations that required planning and group management skills. Kyle also led a program for young children and families, demonstrating his ability to plan and implement educational programming. The letter writer expresses confidence that Kyle would be an asset for any organization requiring similar skills and provides her strongest reference due to Kyle's service, reliability, and over 2,000 volunteer hours completed.

1. Matthew J. Strickler
Secretary of Natural Resources
Clyde E. Cristman
Director
Rochelle Altholz
Deputy Director of
Administration and Finance
Russell W. Baxter
Deputy Director of
Dam Safety & Floodplain
Management and Soil & Water
Conservation
Nathan Burrell
Deputy Director of
Government and Community Relations
Thomas L. Smith
Deputy Director of
Operations
600 East Main Street, 24th
Floor | Richmond, Virginia 23219 | 804-786-6124
State Parks • Soil and Water Conservation • Outdoor Recreation Planning
Natural Heritage • Dam Safety and Floodplain Management • Land Conservation
To whom it may concern,
I am very pleased to provide Kyle with a strong recommendation to your organization. I supervised
Kyle while he worked in interpretive programming as part of his term of volunteer service with the
Virginia Service and Conservation Corps from January to September of 2020. Kyle has past experience
as a science teacher and a master’s degree in education so we were very happy to have him support our
interpretive programs here at Pocahontas State Park. Our park collaborates with the Blue Sky Fund,
whose goal is to support students in under-served communities by providing opportunities for them to
have learning experiences in natural settings. Kyle taught hundreds of students from local elementary
schools about the habitats and animals that are found in our park. This requires the ability to plan ahead
as well as the ability to manage a group of students and provide engaging presentations. Kyle also had
to be open-minded to benefit our program, for example by learning to handle our black rat snake
Houdini so that our students could safely encounter and learn more about Houdini. This helps students
to learn compassion as they see that Houdini is a living thing with his own unique needs and agency and
is not just a threatening wild animal to be feared. Kyle also led and provided support for our Caterpillar
Club, which provides informal experiential education opportunities for young children and families. I
am confident that Kyle would be an asset for any organization that required the ability to plan and
implement presentations and programming, such as educational programming, or that required
leadership ability, reliability, and intrinsic motivation.
Kyle is motivated by service and work that improves society. When his current term of service is
complete in September, he will have completed more than 2,128 volunteer hours since 2018, or more
than a year of full time service. Because of Kyle’s hard work and good character, I would like to
provide him with my strongest and most enthusiastic reference.
Rebecca Whalen
Chief Ranger Visitor Experience