cover letter

1. October, 29, 2020
Dear LSMSA,
Thank you for reviewing my application for your Student Life Advisor vacancy. LSMSA had a big
impact on my life, when I graduated in 2003, it set me up to be able to pursue many other
opportunities. I completed my A.B. in Visual Arts at the University of Chicago in 2007. I completed my
M.A.Ed. at the College of William & Mary with a 3.53 GPA in Gifted Education in 2016. I completed
one year of doctoral study in Art Education at Virginia Commonwealth University with a 3.77 GPA. I
completed my masters thesis, The Dispositions of Teachers of Artistically Talented Students in 2016. I
am currently completing a MLIS in Library and Information Science online at the University of
Southern Mississippi and reside in Richmond, VA.
I have significant experience in education, residential life, and academic research that would
prepare me well for this job. I have two years of educational research experience first as a graduate
research assistant at the College of William & Mary and then as a graduate research and teaching
assistant at VCU, which required working on deadlines and managing data. I also have multiple years
of part time experience as a substitute teacher in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System,
Richmond Public Schools, and Kokua Education. I was a swim instructor at Camp Takajo in Naples,
ME and a Co-Leader with the Student Conservation Association where I led a group of high school
student volunteers on a conservation project in Vermont. I was one of two adults responsible for the
safety and instruction of these 6 volunteers in back-country conditions. I have been certified twice as a
Wilderness First Responder and was a raft guide on the James river in the summer of 2017. I completed
928 volunteer hours from May to October of 2018 during a second experience with the Student
Conservation Association. This required heavy work in the back-country building trails and bridges
while camping.
In the summer of 2016, I was an Art Teacher at the Pine Camp Cultural and Recreational center. I
worked with a group of 28 students ranging in age from 8 to 15. In addition, I have three years of
teaching experience in physical science and biology in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. I
worked primarily with high school students in biology but also taught advanced classes such as
engineering and calculus to seniors who were about to graduate and who I helped prepare for work and
college. I have 3 years of experience as a scoring leader and rater with ETS. This required knowledge
of statistics and use of standardized testing instruments. More recently, I earned 3 months of experience
in more traditional office environment as a Customer Support Representative with Conduent.
In 2019, I completed 8 months as a Field Instructor with the wilderness therapy program Trails
Carolina. I worked with students with emotional disabilities ranging in age from 9–18. I was
responsible for 24/7 supervision of the students during 2- week hitches in back-country environments.
In total I have more that 5 years of experience as a teacher and substitute teacher, 1 year of experience
as a biology lab technician, 3 years of experience in educational testing, 2 years of experience as a
graduate research assistant, and 1 year and 7 months of experience working with students in residential
settings including the SCA, the Louisiana School for the Deaf, and Trails Carolina. I have experience
with literature review, grant writing, and statistical analysis of data. From January to September 2020 I
completed a term of AmeriCoprs Volunteer service with the Virginia Service and Conservation Corps at
Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield, VA and have completed more than 2,129 volunteer service hours
since 2018.
As a teacher I gained significant experience developing and implementing educational
programming on a daily basis as I wrote daily lesson plans, monthly unit plans, obtained materials and
resources for instruction, and implemented my planned instructional programs. This experience would
help me produce and lead high-quality social and educational programming. I have experience working
with children from ages 6-18 and much of my educational work has been with high school students. I
have also worked with students from a variety of backgrounds in a residential capacity and have led

2. them in educational and social activities. I have found that of my experiences as an educator, I enjoyed
teaching in informal learning environments the most. As an LSMSA graduate I know how an SLA can
make a big difference in a student’s life and high school career. My experience in residential-based
education and supervision and my master’s degree in Gifted Education would leave me well prepared
to provide the high quality programming LSMSA’s gifted students deserve. Thank you for your time
and consideration of my application. Please contact me if you would like to speak with me in further
detail concerning my interest in and qualifications for this position.
Respectfully,
Kyle Guzik