1. September 14, 2012
Susan M. Miller
6435 E 17th Avenue Pkwy
Denver, CO 80220
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
Although this should be a very simple letter to write because there are so many positive things
to say, quite the opposite is true. There are almost too many positives to write if one were to
do an adequate job. Dawn Wadsworth has been part of my life for over 25 years, bridging
many of her most difficult and life changing developmental phases. I have come to know her
through the eyes of a teacher, employer, parent, grandparent, pastor, and curious observer.
In the beginning it was the challenges of middle school, changing family dynamics, and her
mother’s illness, moving into high school, working long hours in and out of school, independent
living and managing to balance it all. This was a big job for such a young person, always looking
forward, completing what she started and doing it well. Possibly the most impressive part that
has come from this period of her life was the ability to build positive, understanding, long
lasting, loyal relationships, with friends, employers, and family members. She has developed a
rare skill for feeling her emotions, acknowledging them, viewing them with logic allowing
understanding and insight to be her reward. Even more impressive is her ability to extend that
ability for a deeper empathy to those who have shared her life. Growth continued through
parenthood. A deep commitment to be the “perfect parent,” dedicated to loving
encouragement, creativity, involvement, structure and that deep need to understand. She
volunteered endless hours for church, school, sports teams, and family friendly activities, along
the way, learning more about self and those who shared her life, always seeking insight. This
need to understand seems to have been the driving force behind her academic quest and
chosen field. One I feel she is well suited for.
We have a person here who has chosen to take what life has brought to her as challenges and
managed to turn them into life’s opportunities. In my humble opinion the greatest healers are
those who realize that you only know in others what you already know in yourself. They can be
taught many things, but true knowing comes through life experience. Dawn’s life has been rich
with experience of all kinds that she has embraced, choosing to grow through and not just go
through. She possesses rare skills far beyond the classroom that can go far in helping others.
Susan M. Miller
Home: 303-780-0669, Cell: 303-808-1527