7/31/2019 Hoffman, Steven

1/3

My P e r s o n a l a n d P r o fe s s i o n a l Re l a t io n s h ip w i th B r o th e r D a r in

Hammond

Duringthepast15months,BrotherDarinHammondhasworkedwithmeonanumberof

differentoccasions.FromcompletingresearchpapersinhisclasstofillingoutapplicationsforPh.D.

programs,hisassistancehasbeenmuchappreciated.InthefollowingparagraphsIhopetobriefly

outlinesomeofthewaysinwhichhehashelpedme.

AsastudentinBro.HammondsEnglish315advancedwritingclass,Idevelopedagreatrespect

andadmirationforhisteachingstyle.Someofthethingshedidintheclassroomthatmadelearning

easierareasfollows:

StickingtothesyllabusWhilethereweremanyrequestsforhimtopushbackassignmentsand

changethecourseoutline,Iwasgratefulthatnoalterationsweremade.Havingbeeninclasses

whereinstructorsfrequentlychangethedirectionofthecourse,Ilearnedfirsthandthataltering

plansonlyleadstoconfusionandmisunderstandingamongstudents.

MakinghimselfavailableThereweremanytimeswhereIcalledandscheduledappointments

togoovermywritingassignments.Findingtimetomeetwithhimwasneveraproblem,andhe

didagreatjobofbeingavailableduringhisofficehours.

BeingenergeticIneverheardanegativecommentaboutBro.Hammond,andIbelieveitis

duetohisenergeticpassionforteaching.Ashecameintotheclassroomhewouldsmile,greet

eachstudent,andappeartobefullofenergy.Whilegrammarlessonsarenotalwaysthemost

exciting,hehadawayofmakinglearningfunandinteresting.

Inadditiontotheabovementionedpositiveaspectsofhisteachingstyle,theprojectsand

assignmentsherequiredofushavealreadyhelpedmeinanumberofways.Icreatedmyfirstcover

letter,resume,andreferralrequestasclassassignments.Ihaveusedeachoftheseitemsnumerous

hdarin 5/18/08 10:14 PM

Comment [1]: IaskedSteveHoffmantode

brieflyourrelationshipasawritingsampleto

myteachingportfolio.ItoldhimthatIwould

includeithereandhowIwouldbeusingit.Ia

StevetoparticipatebecauseImethimhissen

yearhereatBYU-Idaho,andheisnowworking

hisPh.D.atArizonaStateUniversity.Ibelieve

willshowhowIhaveparticipatedinpreparing

forandassistinghimwithpostgraduatework.

hdarin 5/12/08 3:55 PM

Comment [2]: StevewasinmyEnglish315

AdvancedWritingintheSocialSciencesinWin

Semester2007.HereceivedanAonhisfinalg

andgraduatedinApril2007withaBachelorD

inSocialWork.Duringtheclass,hediscussed

intentionsforgraduateschool.Iworkedwith

closelyashepreparedhisapplicationandlette

intent.Westayedintouchduringhisworkon

mastersdegree,andweworkedtogetheraga

earlyin2008topreparetoapplytothePh.D.

programatASU.

hdarin 5/18/08 10:17 PM

Comment [3]: WhileStevewasnotanexce

writerattheoutset,hewaspersistentinimpr

hisskillsandpreparinghimselfforgraduatesc

7/31/2019 Hoffman, Steven

2/3

timesinthepastyearasIhaveappliedforjobs,internships,andgraduateschools.Furthermore,the

researchpaperIcompletedinhisclasswasincludedinmyapplicationsasawritingsample.

AftermygraduationfromBrighamYoungUniversity-Idaho,IwroteBro.Hammondtoaskfor

somereadingsuggestions.Acoupledayslaterhewrotebackandprovidedalistofhisfavoritenovels.

AsIfinishedeachbook,Iwouldemailhimandtalkaboutmyimpressionofthereading.Theseemails

becamethestartofapersonalfriendship,andIfoundthathewasveryinterestedinmyfuturegoalsand

pursuits.

Asthetimecameformetobeginapplyingtograduateschool,Irealizedthatsomeassistance

withmyapplicationswouldbeneeded.WhenImentionedthistoBro.Hammond,hewaseagertohelp.

Iemailedhimsomepapersandaskedhimtolookoverthemandoffersuggestions.Eventhoughhewas

busywithclasses,hereadovermyapplicationsandofferedmanyconstructivesuggestions.Heeven

searchedthroughhisfilestolocateandreviewaresearchpaperIhadwrittenwhenIwasinhisclass.

Afterbeingadmittedtoagraduateprogram,ourrelationshipcontinuedtogrow.Wefrequently

wroteeachotheremails,andoccasionallyspokeonthephone.Towardstheendofmygraduate

program,IdecidedtopursueaPh.D.AsIreceivedtheapplicationrequirementsfromeachuniversity,it

againbecameapparentthatIcoulduseBro.Hammondswritingexpertise.AsIcompletedeightseparate

Ph.D.applications,hewasalwaysavailabletoreadmyworkandprovidefeedback.Iamproudtosay

thatwithhishelpIwasrecentlyadmittedtoArizonaStateUniversityssocialworkdoctoralprogram.

Bro.Hammondwasnotonlyagreatteacher,buthewasanintegralpartofmyeducational

experiencesafterBYU-Idaho.Wecontinuetohaveagreatrelationship,andIhopeourfriendshipcarries

onasmyfamilyandIleaveIdahoandpursueourfuturegoals.LearningandinteractingwithBro.

Hammondhasbeenagreatblessinginmylife.

StevenHoffman

208.351.5435

hdarin 5/18/08 10:20 PM

Comment [4]: Ourreadingtogetherhasbe

meaningfulaswehavemadetimetoshareou

ideastogether.WhileEnglishisnothisfavorit

subject,heenjoyedexpandinghisreadingtast

Wehavereadquiteadiversecollectionofnov

togetherrangingfromCormacMcCarthysThe

toGeorgeOrwells1984.

hdarin 5/12/08 4:05 PM

Comment [5]: Ifeelthemeaningfulparthe

thatthisstudentfeltlikehewasthemostimp

partofmyclassandthathecontinuedtofeel

wayastimepassed.Stevefeltthathecouldt

metohelphimafterourclasswasover.Iwou

allofmystudentstofeelthatway.

7/31/2019 Hoffman, Steven

3/3

sghoffma@asu.edu