Dr.

Shah Mahmoud Hanifi

Associate Professor of History
The Middle East and South Asia
hanifism@jmu.edu
http://web.jmu.edu/history/faculty/hanifi.html

________________________________________________________________________
9 October 2014
RE: Letter of Recommendation for Sophia Ashooh, James Madison University
London Internship Applicant
Dear CAPA Staff:
It is a pleasure to write in strong support of Sophia Ashooh, an undergraduate
student from James Madison University who is applying for an Internship for the spring
2015 semester when she will be studying in London. I know Sophia very well and
recommend her highly for an Internship opportunity. I am fully confident she will be a
valuable contributor to the organization where she is placed.
I met Sophia in my GHUM 252 Global South Asia class in the spring 2014
semester. She performed superlatively in all aspects of the course and received a high
A for her efforts. Global South Asia surveys the cultures of South Asia as they interact
in their own right and connect to cultures and societies in other world regions from prehistory to the present. The broad geographic and chronological scope and multiple sets
of terminologies involved in this course challenge most students who are generally
unfamiliar with this South Asia. Sophia immediately struck me as a unique student
because of how she so avidly embraced the cultural and linguistic diversity of this world
region.
Global South Asia carries a writing-infused dimension requiring essays based
upon academic journal articles relating to language and mobility, the twinned organizing
themes of the course. Through five very well organized, effectively argued, and
technically sound essays, Sophia consistently demonstrated excellent coverage of course
content. Sophia is an excellent writer. She received very high scores on the three
examinations, and her contributions to class discussions were consistently productive
throughout the semester. Sophia is not only very intelligent, and she is also gifted with a
wonderful intellectual and social demeanor that is at once ingratiating and demonstrative
of natural leadership.
Sophia is enrolled in the Middle Eastern Communities and Migrations Minor. As
Coordinator of that program, I serve as Sophias Minor Advisor, in which context I have
come to know her as a very active and energetic person who creates her own professional
______________________________________________________________________________________
Program Coordinator
Middle Eastern Communities and Migrations
Jackson Hall, MSC 2001, Harrisonburg, VA 22807
(540) 568-1743 Phone, (540) 568-6556 Fax

Dr. Shah Mahmoud Hanifi

Associate Professor of History
The Middle East and South Asia
hanifism@jmu.edu
http://web.jmu.edu/history/faculty/hanifi.html

________________________________________________________________________
opportunities. This characteristic became evident to me when in the context of a campus
visit by the Arab American Filmmaker Abe Kasbo, Sophia arranged a meeting that
resulted in her becoming an Intern for Mr. Kasbo, assisting him primarily with
fundraising related to his current project, One Thousand and One Journeys: The Arab
Americans.
I rank Sophia in the upper 3% of the thousands of undergraduate students I have
been exposed to at James Madison University and elsewhere. She is a talented student
and wonderful person and I support her CAPA Internship application most
enthusiastically and without any reservation.
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any additional information
about Sopia or my interaction with her. I would be happy to expand on my already
unqualified statement in support of application.
Sincerely,
SMH (electronic signature)

______________________________________________________________________________________
Program Coordinator
Middle Eastern Communities and Migrations
Jackson Hall, MSC 2001, Harrisonburg, VA 22807
(540) 568-1743 Phone, (540) 568-6556 Fax