Jon Merrill

Assistant Resident Director

1032 W Sheridan Rd | Chicago, Illinois 60660
p (773) 508-3680
jmerrill@luc.edu

March 12, 2015

To whom it may concern,

I am writing this letter in support of Lisa Rogers' promise as a professional in higher education. I have
had the pleasure of attending Loyola University Chicago's Higher Education program with Lisa as well
as working alongside her as an Assistant Resident Director (ARD) in Loyola's Department of
Residence Life. In both of these roles I have had the opportunity to overcome obstacles and grow
beside her and have watched as she has made meaning of why she wants to be a higher education
professional. Overall, Lisa has demonstrated a profound vulnerability and commitment to social justice
as a student and professional staff member. These, and many other, qualities that she possess
contribute to her promise as a professional.
One of my earliest interactions with Lisa was working with her in our Multiculturalism for Social
Justice course. The project we worked on required us to co-write a research paper regarding
multiracial student populations and co-facilitating a dialogue with our peers regarding identity.
Working with Lisa was a formative experience that I highly value. In our partnership, Lisa rolemodeled vulnerability and challenged me to dig deeper into how my identities intersected with our
research topic. In our dialogue, Lisa also critically challenged our peers to develop a deeper
understanding of their identities. This skill peeling back the layers and challenging herself and others
to grasp the deeper meaning of the issue at hand is one that she has continually demonstrated
throughout our program.
Lisa incorporates this critical lens and vulnerability in her role as an ARD. These traits combine and
contribute to one of Lisa's most powerful additions to our staff: Lisa is not afraid to share the
unpopular or difficult point of view. Worded differently, she takes risks and expresses the voice that
needs to be heard in a conversation. These silenced opinions may have been ones that others myself
included were previously unwilling to share. In other words, her vulnerability in these instances
encouraged me and others within our group to let ourselves be heard. This is one of the qualities I most
admire about Lisa. Additionally, Lisa serves as one of the cornerstones of our ARD and cohort
community. In a field where sub-groups naturally form, Lisa has done a phenomenal job of staying
connected with and connecting various sub-groups within our larger community. This dedication to
connecting with her peers is only one demonstration of her commitment to inclusion.
In sum, Lisa brings a critical vulnerability to her work as a higher education professional. She has
served many roles throughout her time in this program, and in each she has infused these qualities.
Amongst all of our peers, Lisa has continually challenged me to be more. As such, I am honored to
call Lisa both my friend and professional colleague, and I look forward to seeing her impact within
higher education.
Sincerely,

Jon Merrill
Assistant Resident Director Northside Area
Loyola University Chicago M.Ed. Higher Education 15