Recommendation Letter from Dr. Tylor Orme

This Letter of Recommendation was written by Dr. Tylor Orme, from Emerson College, for my admission to the University of Leeds

Dear Admissions Committee,

When I first encountered Ava Burcham in my course on the history of economic thought, my initial impression was that she was the “problem student” who would take us off topic regularly. She constantly interjected ideas and thoughts that diverted me from my lecture notes and got the entire class active in discussing a diversion rather than class content. When this happens with most students it is a problem. With Ava, it made the class immeasurably better. Unlike most students who interject with their own opinions or with examples from their lives, Ava’s questions always steered the class into interesting academic spaces that otherwise would have gone unexplored, and her diversions from the main topic opened up opportunities for students to see connections between their everyday lives and class concepts. As I prepare to teach this class again next semester, I find myself revising my syllabus to incorporate numerous examples and connections that would not have been in the class were it not for Ava’s interjections. In short, Ava is not only an exemplary student, but she has made me a better teacher.

Since that first class, Ava has taken advanced economics courses with me on the economics of the cultural industries, has served as my research assistant on multiple studies, and is currently designing an individualized project course with me on various economic and social questions related to inequality. Through all of these academic endeavors Ava has impressed me with her energy, her interest in learning, and her ability to absorb content and synthesize it into practical and actionable ideas. Many students throughout the years have impressed me with their creativity and their aptitude (and Ava does both), but Ava is the first student who has ever impressed me with her ability to find the kernel of truth in every lesson and immediately apply it to every aspect of her life.

Ava is inquisitive in a way that is rarely seen in an undergraduate student. She sought me out as a mentor not because we got along well, but rather because we disagreed on many issues, and she wanted to become a better thinker and a better debater through the academic butting of heads that often occurred in my office. The thing that stands out to me about Ava is that she is simultaneously seeking knowledge, adjusting her perspective on crucial issues, and holds to her positions staunchly. Most students I encounter either bring unformed positions into the classrooms that mold around class concepts, or bring positions into the classroom so set in stone that no amount of facts could ever change their minds. Ava’s opinions are unfired clay. She knows that someday her perspective will solidify into a force that can change the world, but she is unwilling to harden her position until she has all of the facts. I am constantly impressed by her subtle understanding and application of economic concepts to make her own position more forceful and nuanced without losing the core of her own ideas.

In short, I have had students who I might recommend more highly for their mathematical ability or economic prowess, but I can honestly say that I have never had a student who I feel is more prepared for graduate study. Ava will arrive in graduate school as a strong writer, an exceptional thinker, and with an attitude that will enhance every discussion or debate she takes part in. She is exceptional.

Tylor Orme
Assistant Professor of Cultural Economics Business of Creative Enterprises
Emerson College

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