Counselor Education Department

Post Office Box 751

Portland, Oregon 97207-0751

April 6, 2016
To Whom It May Concern:
I highly recommend Samantha Harding as your schools next professional school counselor. I have been working with Ms.
Harding for three years as her faculty advisor, mentor and professor. During this time, I have become very familiar with
Ms. Hardings work and thought processes and am impressed by her clarity, maturity, and ability to be impactful as she
integrates theory with practice.
Ms. Harding maintains a friendly, open demeanor and quickly gains the trust and respect of her students, colleagues, and
administrators. She maintains that ideal balance of warm approachability and consistent, sensible boundary-setting. She is
well respected for her organized and impactful work style and spends her time efficiently. Ms. Harding maintains a relaxed
and composed presence that is reassuring for her students and colleagues alike, yet she is also able to act and react quickly
as needed. She juggles multiple demands with competence and ease, and is always quick with a friendly smile. Your
students and staff alike will feel at-ease with her and reassured by her competent, in-control demeanor.
One of Ms. Hardings most impressive skills is her ability to manage the needs of her students while addressing the
multiple and, at times competing, needs of the larger system. She maintains a clear operational understanding of how
school systems work, and she seems to have an intuitive understanding of how to best intervene in any system to achieve
maximum effectiveness. Her implicit understanding of her role and place in the larger structure is truly astounding for an
educator so early in her career.
Finally, Ms. Harding extended these skills into the professional realm during her two academic year-long internship
experiences where she gained exceptional evaluative reviews from two seasoned supervisors who were both impressed
with her performance. Ms. Harding is a bright, exceptionally fast learner who will undoubtedly dive energetically into
gaining a thorough understanding of your school and its many unique needs. I have no doubt that Ms. Harding will quickly
create a vision for your students that focuses on aligning with your current goals and reducing any barriers your students
are experiencing which prohibit their ability to achieve. Ms. Harding is passionate about helping students find their best
learner selves, and Im eager to learn about the impact she will have in your school. I believe she will likely become a state
leader in the field and, in the meantime, will be a tremendous asset to your faculty team.
I welcome you to call me if you would like to further discuss Ms. Hardings impressive qualifications. I am quite familiar
with many of the unique needs of your school and district, and I believe Ms. Hardings values, beliefs, and demeanor are an
ideal match.
Sincerely,
Lisa Aasheim
Lisa Aasheim, PhD, LPC, NCC, ACS
Associate Professor
Coordinator, School Counseling Program
aasheim@pdx.edu