Deserving of a truly special honor

That beautiful spring morning, I reflected on Kiera’s accomplishments, values, goals and aspirations as I rode the train from my home in Joliet through the Southland suburbs and the neighborhoods of Chicago’s South Side. Kiera grew up in Pill Hill, just east of Stony Island, and has lived in various neighborhoods throughout the city. She’s a true blue, bona fide Chicagoan — much like the late Harold Washington.

I was honored, excited and humbled to introduce Kiera. It was most appropriate (you’ll soon understand why) that this lovely ceremony was held on Earth Day — a day which began in 1970 as a global demonstration by millions of people on behalf of the environment.

Pretty impressive, right? Well, there’s more! Kiera recently earned a prestigious and highly competitive research fellowship through the National Science Foundation. In turn, Kiera will study plant ecology at the Chicago Botanic Garden — one of Chicago’s most important institutions of ecological research and public education — this summer. She will learn advanced research techniques under the mentorship of a Black female research scientist, Dr. Alicia Foxx. I can’t help but think about how this summer’s experiences may foreshadow Kiera one day mentoring a new generation of female environmental scientists of color. I also consider this achievement a true feather in the cap of Roosevelt’s sustainability studies program as well as inspiration for future students.

I got to know Kiera in January of 2021, during her first year at Roosevelt as a working adult student putting herself through school — the apogee of the pandemic’s impact on all of higher education. Kiera enrolled in two of my courses. She was an excellent student in both classes, demonstrating strong writing and research skills. Her desire to go beyond simply understanding ideas and concepts in order to make connections among different fields brought a mature thoughtfulness to class discussion (more like a graduate student than a typical undergraduate). Ever since, Kiera has remained a strong contributor, a good listener and an effective collaborator.

Kiera has emerged as a standout student leader. She and two other students, Sophia Gallo and Kayla Nelson, presented a comprehensive sustainability plan at last fall’s Loundy Human Rights Project Symposium. Their work continues to revise the University’s strategic sustainability plan, and its profound importance was recognized this spring when Kiera, Sophia and Kayla received the Presidential Award for Social Justice — the highest recognition granted by the University for current students. The high level of Kiera’s work over the past year is rarely seen among undergraduates of any age.

Faculty write a lot of letters of recommendation. For jobs, fellowships, internships and scholarships — like this one. These letters are an unsung but important part of our job, and they often come upon at inconvenient times … so sometimes the writing process can be stressful.