Alyssa Pfluger

July 3, 2013

 

To Whom It May Concern:
It is my privilege to write this letter on behalf of Alyssa Pfluger. Alyssa took two classes from me during her first year at Valparaiso University: the final section of the Freshman Program in Christ College, the honors college, and a research seminar on Paradise Lost. In the first of those classes, students completed an intensive program of reading in literature and philosophy from the ancient through modern periods; in the second, they undertook a substantial research project on a topic of their choice related to Milton’s epic.

Alyssa showed her dexterity as a student by applying herself with enthusiasm to both of these quite different challenges. She read the variety of works covered in the Freshman Program with care and came to class with useful insights and questions. Likewise, in the research seminar, Alyssa clearly took time and effort to find a topic that concerned her not only at the level of theory but also of practice: gender roles in Paradise Lost, and the relationship between female subservience and theological innocence. Alyssa was often in my office to discuss the questions raised by our texts, and it was clear that she continued the conversation with her peers outside of class as well.

In fact, Alyssa’s greatest strength as a student is her conviction that no school exercise is merely academic, that texts from the past still speak into our lives. The ability to draw these kinds of connections is necessary in a leader, and I am confident that it will stand her in good stead in all of her future endeavors.

Best regards,
Katherine Calloway