Department of English

Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School

590 Lavender Road

Athens, GA 30606

August 14, 2006

Dr. Lloyd Rieber

Graduate Coordinator

Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology

603 Aderhold Hall

The University of Georgia

Athens, GA 30602

Dear Dr. Rieber:

My name is Darren Rhym, and I am the Chair of the English and Religion Departments at Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School, in Athens, Georgia. I have been at Donovan since its inception in 2003 and I have been teaching for nearly seventeen years. In my time at Donovan and at the other colleges, universities, and high schools at which I have taught, I have met many professors and teachers. Some have been incredibly skilled in instruction and research, and likewise, some have not demonstrated great ability in said areas. I say that to say this, having worked with many educators, I feel somewhat confident in my ability to assess teacher skill levels. I’ve watched Ms. Grigsby around our students at Donovan; I’ve seen her teach them, mentor them, coach them, and most importantly I’ve seen her motivate them. One of her greatest strengths as a young teacher is her creativity. And I think a program such as this can help her to continue to develop and grow even stronger as a teacher.

Having completed graduate programs at Penn State University and Piedmont College, I feel comfortable in assessing Ms. Grigsby’s ability to be successful on the graduate level. The skills that I have observed in Ms. Grigsby that I believe translate nicely to Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology Program at UGA are her creativity, her pension for hard work, her intense drive and desire to be the best and do a job correctly, and her will to succeed. Her desire to be perfect as a teacher has set a fine example for our students. I have no doubt that if she is permitted entrance into a program at UGA, she will not only finish it, she will excel in it and be a star.

Page 2 Grigsby Recommendation Letter

We are a small faculty at Donovan, so we wear many hats. Last year, Ms. Grigsby was asked to teach U.S. History, a subject that is not her field. She researched the subject and became quite proficient in the area in a very short time. She also very creatively employed the use of media and technology in her classroom, giving the course a very modern and fresh feel to it. This, I believe, speaks to her ability to succeed in the graduate classroom. Ms. Grigsby has put in long hours at Donovan and has gone above and beyond to do whatever the school has needed and has often put Donovan’s needs before her own. This dedication and desire to finish a job are also traits that I know will make her an excellent graduate student.

Dr. Rieber, I could go on and on about how special Aimee Grigsby is as a teacher, a colleague, and as a person. I only hope that what I have explained gives a brief account but clearly and significantly explains how special she is in front of the classroom and how special she will be in a desk, as a student.

Thus, it is with great confidence and a sense of assuredness that I recommend Aimee Grigsby for admittance into the graduate school at UGA.

Sincerely,

Darren Rhym

Chair, English and Religion Departments