March 2, 2015

RE: Letter of Promise for Luisa Lora

Dear Portfolio Committee:
I am honored to have been asked to write this letter of professional promise for Luisa Lora. I have had
the pleasure of serving as Luisas supervisor during her Resident Director Graduate Assistantship at
Cornish College of the Arts.
Luisa jumped head first into her Assistantship with us a month into the Spring semester. The failed
performance of her predecessor had left both the student staff and the small department exhausted,
unsupported and somewhat lost. Luisa came in with energy and clarity of purpose that no training could
ever provide. Her enthusiasm and excitement for the students is always clear and her passion for
housing and residence life fueled all of us. Within days of her start date she was a part of our rigorous
staff selection process and was immediately having one on ones with her Resident Assistants. She went
much beyond just fitting in, she made us a powerful whole.
Luisa has a talent for seeing issues and challenges through a variety of lenses and articulating them
clearly to move a conversation forward. This clear voice serves her well in her supervision of staff,
student leadership development and on the conduct team. She is a flexible team member who helps
the group looking forward not just with ideas but also with the logistics and details important to the
success of any project.
Two important themes of Luisas staff supervision have been transparency and accountability.
Conscious of her own strength and penchant for planning ahead, Luisa adapts to student staffs style
through awareness and individual collaboration. While she has the ability to be flexible and empathize
with individual needs and demands, she holds to deadlines and requirements of the staff and makes
these expectations transparent early on. This effort has been a culture change for the students at the
institution and shes held fast in a compassionate manner, helping our students grow into stronger
citizens as well as students.
Luisa has been a vibrant and powerful team member who has made a deep impact on the department
and the students of Cornish College of the Arts with her passion for student advocacy, her focus on
student growth and accountability and the joy she brings to all her work. It has been my greatest
pleasure to work with her and I cannot wait to both who is lucky enough to work with her next and how
she continues to impact the field.
Sincerely,

John Paul
Director of Housing and Residence Life
jpaul@cornish.edu 206.315.5853