About
It is my distinct pleasure to nominate Social Studies Secondary Education major Lillian Brooks for the Jeffers Chertok Memorial Scholarship. Ms. Brooks exemplifies the best qualities of an outstanding student and demonstrates a commitment to academic excellence and service unmatched by her peers.
Within the same Quarter of transferring to EWU, during her first year of college, Ms. Brooks was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma and had to undergo immediate and intensive medical treatment.i Brooks was forced to step out of school for over a year, yet at this time (and during COVID) she continued academic advising and created reading lists to help her succeed when she was able to return. Since resuming coursework, and while continuing treatment, Ms. Brooks has maintained a 3.87 GPA as well as holding a full-time job with United Airlines. Next year, Ms. Brooks is scheduled to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Education with a Social Studies Secondary Education major and minors in both Special Education and Geography.
Ms. Brooks has received accolades from her professors in the Social Studies Program as well as from the School of Education that speak not only to Brooks’ exceptional academic career but also the numerous ways in which she demonstrates leadership skills within the classroom and beyond. Professor James Rosenzweig, who worked with Ms. Brooks in his SOST 390: Social Studies Methods course expressed that “Lillian’s work in SOST 390 was of an excellent quality: she surpassed her classmates in our graded discussions from the beginning, displaying both command of the readings and an excellent sense of timing in knowing when to speak and when to leave room for others…Her final lesson plan design was truly outstanding – one I would happily show other students who needed an example of the level of depth and detail necessary for success…she’s one of the most impressive students I’ve worked with here, and someone more than deserving of your scholarship support.” A formal letter from Professor Rosenzweig in support of Ms. Brooks can be found as an attached supplemental document.
Dr. Joseph Lenti eagerly shared his experience with Ms. Brooks noting, “I have had the pleasure of teaching Lilly on two occasions, first when she enrolled in my Latin American History course, and more recently, in my History of Spain class. She distinguished herself in both settings, but particularly in the Spain course…There Lilly engaged the material deeply and effectively.” Dr. Lenti also noted that “Aside from the academic success necessary for this scholarship, Lilly possesses an intellectual stimulation that separates her from other students. This becomes evident in her written work, which is always comprehensive, fact-driven, and eloquently presented. She is an excellent reader, researcher, and essay writer, and I look forward to seeing how she applies these skills in her career as an educator.” I have also had the pleasure of working with Ms. Brooks in the research-intensive course HIST 444: History of the Pacific Northwest where she investigated how Bracero workers’ exclusion from the Labor Act of 1935 impacted migrant and immigrant laborers in the Pacific Northwest following World War II. Ms. Brooks approached her evaluation of marginalized and often victimized laborers with a profound balance of professionalism and compassion.
Over the course of the class, she consistently advanced conversations with critical and carefully considered questions, and her research skills exceeded expectations. More importantly, she always pushed herself to do better and is driven by personal goals for intellectual growth and for a greater understanding of our world that she can share with others. This has been demonstrated, in part, by her decision to take additional courses in both Africana Studies and Chicano Studies.
Ms. Brooks is uncommonly kind, and despite working full-time as a student has generously given her spare moments to help the EWU community at large. Brooks’ classmates and Social Studies cohort members describe her as their “rock,” as someone they can go to whenever they need assistance with a class, and as a dependable source of support. Ms. Brooks’ academic excellence and community leadership is well known to her peers as well as to faculty and staff, as Brooks has been sought out for services roles, and she is always willing to help at university events. In just this last year, Brooks volunteered for both Civics Day and Eastern Washington Regional History Day as well as assisted MARCOM with promotional materials on becoming a teacher at EWU. While already above and beyond what is asked of students, Ms. Brooks has expressed a desire to do more, noting “I am working to find other volunteer opportunities that I can work into my class and work schedule.” Not only are we lucky to have Brooks at EWU, but her future school district will also undoubtably gain a community resource.
The difficulty of coming back to school should not be underestimated, and the extraordinary circumstances and outstanding performance of Ms. Brooks over the course of her academic career here at EWU deserves to be recognized. When asked about her future career, Brooks explained, “I want to teach Social Studies so I can help prepare students to be contributing members of our society. So, they have the skills to investigate and question the things they hear and see…we cannot expect students to improve our society unless we give them the skills to do so.”
Considering all the factors described above, I (in addition to Dr. Lenti and Professor Rosenzweig) highly recommend you grant Lillian Brooks a Jeffers Chertok Memorial scholarship. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you wish to discuss Ms. Brooks’ merits further.
Jacki Hedlund Tyler
To the Scholarship Committee:
Greetings to you all. I am writing to you on behalf of Lillian Brooks, whom I first met in Spring Quarter 2022 when she enrolled in SOST 390, a course I teach to social studies education students. Lillian was one of my best students – engaged, thoughtful, and an excellent member of the classroom community. Since her time in that class, we’ve remained in touch, and I’ve had the chance to see her enthusiasm and her commitment to education on display when working with young people at an event hosted at EWU. In short, she’s one of the most impressive students I’ve worked with here, and someone more than deserving of your scholarship support.
Lillian’s work in SOST 390 was of an excellent quality: she surpassed her classmates in our graded discussions from the beginning, displaying both command of the readings and an excellent sense of timing in knowing when to speak and when to leave room for others. The course’s one timed objective exam was a struggle for many of her classmates, but Lillian demonstrated unusual success in that work also. When, later in the course, she faced some challenges in certain elements of lesson plan design, she proactively scheduled meetings with me so that she could get a good understanding of the work, and I immediately saw meaningful improvement. Her final lesson plan design was truly outstanding – one I would happily show other students who needed an example of the level of depth and detail necessary for success.
I’ve spoken to Lillian occasionally since the end of SOST 390 last Spring: our most significant interaction was in connection with an annual event held at EWU called “Civic Thinkers”. This one-day civics-themed event, held on a Friday in Winter Quarter, allows our campus to host visiting leadership students from elementary, middle, and high schools in the West Valley School District.
They hear a keynote from WVSD alumna Justice Debra Stephens, they participate in workshops and learning activities led by EWU faculty, and they tour campus as part of an opportunity to consider becoming Eagles someday when it’s time for them to attend college. The event can only succeed with the support of volunteers, and Lillian was 2023’s star volunteer – she showed up early and stayed late, and in-between was constantly active in support of the programming and the WVSD student experience. She was just as at ease speaking with a State Supreme Court Justice as she was chatting with an excited 5th grader, and it was clear that she was making an outstanding impression on teachers and administrators at WVSD (one of whom asked me afterwards when she’d be ready for a student teaching placement).
Lillian was a wonderful ambassador for EWU on a day when a lot of bright and impressionable young people were on our campus to have a thoughtful encounter with social studies concepts: I was and am so grateful for her volunteered time, and her deep respect for that work. Lillian Brooks is a remarkable young woman, and I know from my experience she will be a gifted educator – someone who inspires young people to an interest in all the disciplines within the social studies. I hope that you can find an opportunity to extend scholarship support to her, so that her pathway to that meaningful work is made just a little smoother: thank you so much for considering my letter.
James W. Rosenzweig
