March 20, 2017

To whom it may concern:

I am writing this narrative letter on behalf of Dana Marie Gramuglia. My first impression of Dana was on
August 16th, 2015. I remember the date because it was the day of our Higher Education Masters orientation. Dana
was not in any of my ice breaker breakout sessions or pairings but, I remember the way she carried herself with
poise while others were quite anxious about the program. Although she did not know anyone there, she was
extremely friendly to anyone she met. Once I finally got the opportunity to have class with Dana, I found this kind-
hearted and infectious impression to be true. Dana and I shared Student Development Theory together. This
course required much reflection and proved difficult for me. Dana was always there to check-in with me or debrief
class. I have since had the amazing opportunity to serve with Dana on the Higher Education Student Association
executive team. Dana is one half of the Professional Development Committee. Dana aims to provide accessible
and informational sessions and events for students in our HESA community. She has planned and executed
numerous workshops on topics such as: APA writing, conferences, summer internships, negotiating salaries, and
grant writing to name a few. Aside from her exceptional workshops, I know I can count on Dana to volunteer for
large scale events such as Fall Orientation or Preview Days. Her creative visions and attention to detail also make
her a wonderful assess to the Student Organizations & Activities team at Northwestern University.

I not only have the pleasure of seeing Dana in class and our executive board meetings but, I also witness her
work ethic in our roles as graduate assistants at Northwestern. Dana comes from Bellarmine University where,
regardless of her academic curriculum, Dana consistently remained curious about careers in student affairs. During
her time at Bellarmine she was very involved in student services, leadership initiatives, campus ministry and more.
She uses these experiences and expertise to connect with her current studies. As someone who values her mentors
in higher education, Dana now serves as the late night graduate assistant where she advises student organizations on
their events and programming. A hands-off and transactional advising style is not Danas approach! You can find
Dana at 1:00 A.M. standing alongside her students as they bus fellow Wildcats to and from Chicago concert venues
or giving out prizes at Harry Potter Trivia nights! As a real team player who can also work independently toward a
collective goal, Dana truly embodies what it means to be a student affairs professional. She will bring her creative,
flexible, professional, optimistic, hard-working attitude and values to any institution or position she accepts. I look
forward to following Dana on her professional endeavors as she paves her way to becoming the Vice President of
Student Affairs someday! She is definitely a young professional to key an eye on in the field. If you have any
further questions please feel free to email me at svillanova@luc.edu or by cell at 773-946-6399.

Cheers,

Stephaine Ann Villanova , 17

Higher Education Student Association 2016-2017 President