To Whom It May Concern:

I am pleased to have Jaime Shepherd as a student. He is intensely motivated, quick to learn, and hard working. Often students lend their support to projects, only to disappear when the semester is over. That is a traditional semester problem to which we are all accustomed. But that is what makes Jaime so special. He is consistently present, focused on concern for African American youth, and regularly lends his energy to doing something about that concern.

He is both popular and busy, so I have to compete for his time. I understand that. But I fully appreciate that we share enough values and ideals that often our agendae intersect, and he turns his creativity to many of our projects. Despite a crammed schedule, Jaime made time to participate in the Western Social Sciences Association meetings in San Diego this year. His presentation was superb, and he carried himself at all times with great dignity, and noteworthy ability to quote academic authority on issues of concern to African American youth.

He further turned his attention to the organization and hosting of a Town Hall Forum for our CSUDH students when we returned to Los Angeles. This sort of follow through is essential to building local community power in dealing with community concerns. In this area, Jaime is gaining considerable skill and will surely be one of our future leaders.

Sincerely,

Jeanne Curran, Ph.D., Esq.
Professor of Sociology
California State University, Dominguez Hills