The following testimonial was written by Dr. Susan Maxam, Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Education at Pace University.

14 February 2014

I have worked closely with Briana since she enrolled at Pace as she has taken two of my classes (Exploring our Environment learning community and Women Activists for Peace and Justice) and is now my Faculty Assistant. I can say without hesitation that she is one of the brightest, most hard-working, mature, competent, reliable, committed, caring, organized, and personable students I have ever had the pleasure of working with in my 25 years at Pace University!

Briana excelled in both of my classes, earning the “coveted” and elusive “A” grade (a rarity for me!). Her written assignments (research and reflection papers) and oral presentations (individual and team) always set the bar incredibly high for the rest of the class. In fact, for several of her assignments, she “earned” an A+, a grade I have never given! Part of the reason for her excellent grades was her maturity in thought and action, combined with her ability to truly reflect on insights learned from the class, her life and our readings/class discussions. In fact, for these very reasons, I nominated her for the Dyson Society of Fellows, the prestigious and very competitive Honor Society, which I had never before done for a freshman.

Not only is Briana bright, but she has excellent interpersonal skills. Other students in both of my classes thoroughly enjoyed working with her. In fact, in my environmental class, they chose her to lead the group in a class debate because of her intellectual and communication skills as well as her ability to work so well on a team. Her other student groups in both classes were equally as successful because she is so easy to get along with, yet possesses the leadership skills to not only “get the job done,” but to excel in the process, always going well above and beyond what was required.

In terms of reliability, Briana never missed a class for either course and was always punctual. She could be counted on to submit all of her assignments on their due date and in top notch form. To say she was conscientious would be an understatement!

Equally as important, Briana is an incredibly caring, thoughtful, grateful, and giving person. Her participation in the Setters Leadership Program is evidence of her interest in, and commitment to, social change. But in both of my classes, it was evident by the way she interacted with (and treated) others; her emails and discussions with me (in class and throughout the week and well after each semester ended); and the extracurricular activities in which she chose to partake. It is difficult to have a conversation with Briana and not leave feeling positive, happy, cared about, and greatly appreciated!!

Part of the students’ grades in my environmental/public speaking learning community was based on their ability to provide insightful, constructive feedback to the other students for their presentations. Briana did an excellent job in this area as she was diplomatic and positive when providing any type of criticism (even when the speech was poorly executed!). Additionally, both classes were very diverse, and she was able to seamlessly (and gladly!) work with every student in the various group discussions and projects we had.

Currently Briana serves as my Faculty Assistant for my “Women Activists” civic engagement course. I cannot begin to express how thrilled and grateful I am to have Briana in this role. Her incredible competence, organizational skills, creativity, attention to detail, and leadership skills have quickly become indispensable to me. Briana exceeds my expectations in every way; anticipates my needs (even before I realize I have such needs!); proactively reaches out to our students; and even helps me facilitate class discussions!  In short, I have no idea what I would do without her!!

Sincerely,
Dr. Sue Maxam
Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Education
Adjunct Professor, Communications and Peace, Justice and Sustainability

The following testimonial was written by Brendan Halligan, Associate Director of the First Year Experience at Pace University.

14 February 2014

I have worked closely with Briana in a variety of capacities, and can confidently say that she is an excellent representative of Pace University.  As the president of Alpha Lambda Delta, the Pace chapter of the national freshman honor society, Briana took on her leadership role enthusiastically.  She ensured that the society met on a regular basis and was invaluable in organizing the Alpha Lambda Delta Relay for Life team.  As a Peer Leader, Briana worked extremely hard to get to know each student on a personal level.  She did not shy away from working with difficult students and she would consistently reflect on how she could make improvements and grow in the position.  Because of her efforts, Briana was awarded the Peer Leader of the Year award, which is usually reserved for seniors and students who have been in the position for multiple semesters. Briana is highly involved at Pace, but is able to stay organized and has the ability to prioritize her time so that she can commit fully to each of her obligations.  She is extremely motivated, and is a pleasure to work with.  I can think of few students that would be better to represent Pace to our incoming students and who would do a better job sharing their positive energy and enthusiasm for this university.

Sincerely,

Brendan Halligan
Associate Director, First Year Experience
914-773-3756