AJ Francioni 316 Notthereek Drive Durham, NC 27707 May 17, 2016 Dr. Jeffrey Hartman 135 Creekside Drive Shelby, NC 28152 ‘To Whom It May Concer: When | was asked to write this letter on behalf of Dr. Hartman, there was simply no hesitation ~ not only because Dr. Hartman has been kind enough to write a letter of recommendation for me, but also because he has been a professor that goes the extra mile and cared about my aspirations since freshman year. | first met Dr. Hartman in Exercise Science's first year of being a major, in his Introduction to Exercise Science class. The Introduction class is meant to help students narrow their career path and determine if Exercise Science is the major for them, One of the most memorable moments my freshman year was when Dr. Hartman had his brother. a physical therapist, Skype us during class to tell us about the profession, Dr. Hartman is always thinking of creative ‘ways to educate us beyond the use of a textbook. Dr. Hartman has always been a professor that shoots it straight ~ his syllabus is the most daunting but also the most useful ofall my professors at Gardner-Webb. One thing | have always appreciated is when he explains which Course Objective each assignment throughout the semester meets, so every assignment has a purpose and there is never any busy work. Other notable academic work is how he tailors our assignments to the students" needs and the content or material for the class. One that really comes to mind is his oral examinations rather than on paper. | appreciated this new format because it allowed me to ‘express all the information I had leamed rather than just answering very specific questions. | was given five minutes to explain everything I could on a topic and I could also add to the other students for an additional two minutes. Dr. Hartman has never been a professor to make the work less challenging or rigorous, and that is exactly why I feel prepared to start graduate school this fall. He has always made the material something interesting to study by bringing videos to class or relating the content to real-world application, Exercise Science is the study of the human body's physiological changes due to movement and exercise, so it is not always best to learn from a textbook, While we have always utilized literature very heavily in his classes, he also was always prepared with demonstrations to make it easier to grasp. | remember when we were studying the learning stages of various activities in our Motor Behavior class, he had a student show us how to tie your shoes first by demonstrating and then only ‘through verbal instructions, It was much harder for the student to perform a very simpletask when only being able to describe it. This was a good lesson for me specifically because in my line of work, I will have to instruct patients on proper technique, but now 1 see instructions are better understood with a demonstration and verbal cues rather than just verbal cues. Dr. Hartman has always found ways to make the material from class relevant to his student's future careers. One aspect of Exercise Science that | have alw: appreciated is the large realm of possibilities for students after graduation. His classes provide us with all the knowledge necded to pursue a career in Health Science. Beyond the classroom, Dr. Hartman also ensures we are all prepared for adulthood and the professional world, He always informed us of Career Services’ events and taught us very early in Intro that, “if you're five minutes early you're on time, and if you're on time you're already late.” | have enjoyed his honesty in regards to preparing for our first jobs or graduate school after college. Gardner-Webb can sometimes put you in a very comfortable bubble, but Dr. Hartman has always made sure we experience the real world Iremember one of our first assignments during freshman year and someone turned in his ‘or her paper with the corner folded over instead of stapled. Dr. Hartman would not accept the assignment because it should have been stapled. He explained that we will all have _ jobs one day and answer to a boss that will expect projects turned in a certain way and if we do not follow the standards, we could get fired. Everything in Dr. Hartman’s classes becomes a lesson leamed in regards to health science and life. Since graduating, | have seen that lesson come to life. There are standards for a reason, and you should take pride in your work that it was completed the right way and is acceptable fo turn into your superior Thave learned lot from my time at Gardner-Webb, and now preparing for a doctoral Program and living on my own, | am seeing how fortunate I was to have a professor as considerate and passionate as Dr. Hartman. He was always willing to make an appointment and help with questions regarding your schedule, classwork, graduate schools, potential career paths, ete.; and when he did not know the answer, he always did Some research and followed up with you. Dr. Hartman has been a key factor in my academic suecess and { am proud to speak on behalf of his success. | cannot count how ‘many times | stopped by his office to ask questions about Physical Therapy school or {raduation requirements, and he was always so patient and encouraging. Hi Professor and as an advisor go beyond exceptional. Dr. Hartman would alw, an exit interview regarding our thesis or internship, “What yourself?” because he wanted us to self-reflect and be hon and how we spent our time, Reflecting on my 3.5 years us can say without a doubt that he deserves an A and the hon is abilities as a ays ask after grade would you give est about how hard we worked astudent of Dr. Hartman's, | oF of tenure, Sincerely, Ai, Fanciers Alexandra (AJ) Francioni afrancioni@gardner-webb.edu 630-362-3234