April 22, 2016

To Whom it May Concern:

I am pleased to write a recommendation for Ms. Sydni Fahringer. I have known Sydni for three
years, as a student in several literature courses: LITT 2104 (American Literature I), LITT 2123
(Research in Literature), and LITT 4610 (Senior Seminar), as well as serving as her advisor in the
Literature Program, and I am well-qualified to comment on both her academic abilities and personal
qualities.
Sydnis overall performance in my classes has been very strong. She was one of the top students in
my American Literature course, writing several excellent papers and participating actively in class
discussions. She also did very good work in the Research class, one of the most difficult classes in
the Literature program, writing an insightful final paper on Harriet Beecher Stowes anti-slavery novel,
Uncle Toms Cabin. I was delighted that she chose to enroll in my Senior Seminar as I knew her to be
a student who was always prepared for and engaged in class discussions, and a thoughtful and
intelligent writer and thinker. Her final work for that course, an historical and critical introduction to
Anna Katharine Greens 1898 novel, The Hermit of Street, was thoroughly researched, wellwritten, and made an excellent case for the importance of returning Green, once known as the
mother of detective fiction, to the literary canon. She also participated actively in the development of
the virtual exhibit produced by the class: Recovering 19th-Century American Women Writers
(https://blogs.stockton.edu/litrecovery/).
Sydnis character, in addition to her training in research, writing, critical thinking and web-based
technologies, is well suited to her goal of teaching English at the secondary level. We have had many
conversations about teaching, including discussions of her student teaching placements, and I am
impressed with her strong sense of a vocation and her desire to share with students her own love of
literature and learning. Sydni currently has a 3.58 overall GPA, and has made the Deans List nearly
every term since she declared her Literature major (in Spring 2014). I should add that Sydni was also
a member of Stocktons Womens Varsity Tennis team and was very successful at balancing the
significant demands of her team and her studies. She is self-motivated, disciplined, and mature.
It is clear to me that Sydni has a promising career ahead of her, and I recommend her highly and with
enthusiasm. Please feel free to contact me if you require additional information.
Sincerely,

Deborah Gussman, Ph.D.

Professor of Literature
609-652-4657
deborah.gussman@stockton.edu