John Craig Hammond, an associate professor of history at Penn State University, strongly recommends Omar Aziz for a position. Hammond ranks Omar among the top 1% of students he has taught in 10 years and among the smartest and hardest working. Omar is remarkably worldly, having lived in New York, Karachi, and Arizona. At Penn State, Omar immediately distinguished himself, earning near perfect scores and providing insightful comments. He holds a 3.88 GPA and is slated to graduate early, with numerous academic awards. Hammond believes Omar possesses a world-class intellect and the commitment to make valuable contributions to any organization.

1. John Craig Hammond, Ph.D
Associate Professor of History
Penn State University
Jch24@psu.edu
February 23, 2015
To Whom it May Concern:
I write regarding Omar Aziz’s application for a position with your organization. As this is a general
letter of recommendation, I cannot speak about Omar’s particular fit in your organization. However, I
can speak to the valuable qualities, skills, and experiences that Omar offers.
Overall, Omar ranks among the top 1% of students I have worked with in ten years of teaching at
Penn State, Purdue, and the University of Kentucky, and I rank him among the top five students
overall. The students who I would consider Omar’s peers include a student who earned a graduate
fellowship to the University of Chicago and now works as a senior advisor for a major, global
philanthropic consulting firm, and a remarkable young woman from India who is now completing her
degree in computer science in Silicon Valley. Omar ranks among the smartest, most hard-working
students that I have worked with in ten years of teaching; he is also among the most intellectually
savvy and cosmopolitan students I have met. I give him my most strongest recommendation.
Omar is a remarkably worldly, cosmopolitan, global, and self-aware young man. Born in New York
City in 1994, Omar moved to Karachi as a child. At 14, he moved to Arizona, where he completed a
semester of high school. Finding high school in the United States insufficiently challenging, Omar
returned to Karachi, where he completed his studies at the Karachi Grammar School, a certified
British boarding school which prepares students to complete the Cambridge University International
Examinations. Dedicated and studious, Omar passed Cambridge International Examinations
in mathematics, accounting, economics and world geography. Cosmopolitan in the truest sense of the
word, Omar is equally at home in Karachi, rural western Pennsylvania, or downtown Manhattan.
Omar’s accomplishments and worldliness led him to Penn State. Seeking unfamiliar experiences,
Omar opted to attend Penn State rather than a British university or one of the elite American
institutions frequented by his classmates. With that decision, Omar arrived last August in my U.S.
History survey class. Omar immediately distinguished himself as one of the best students I have ever
worked with. Omar earned near perfect scores on his three essay exams and three out-of-class essays.
He also quickly emerged as a student who always had a valuable and insightful comment to share
with the class. Based on Omar’s performance in U.S. History, I invited him to enroll in an honors
seminar I teach each spring semester. Omar’s performance in that class was again exemplary, as is
Omar’s record at Penn State. As a sophomore carrying a demanding set of courses, Omar holds a
3.88 GPA and he is slated to graduate early. His academic accomplishments have deservedly been
recognized with numerous awards and selection for the Golden Key International Honors Society.
Omar is a true global traveler and cosmopolitan; he possesses a world class intellect; he has the
commitment and wherewithal necessary to have his smarts produce something tangible and valuable.
Combining smarts, hard-work, and a global perspective, Omar is a global political economist in the
truest sense of the term. I fully expect that he will make very valuable contributions to your
organization. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have particular questions regarding Omar.
Sincerely,
John Craig Hammond