April 8, 2016

It is my pleasure to write this letter of professional promise on behalf of Jazz Espiritu. We

have worked together for the past two years in Wellness and Health Promotion and prior to
that, we were colleagues while he held his position in the Office of Multicultural Affairs at
Seattle University. I consider myself lucky to have gotten to know Jazz both personally and
professionally and am so excited to see where his career takes him.
Jazzs passion for working with students is exemplified through his community minded
approach, his strong ethic of care, and his commitment to ongoing improvement.
He informs his interactions with students in very personal ways that are often rooted in the
support he received from his community as he has built his professional identity. Jazz, in
turn approaches his work knowing that supporting students individually, makes them
exponentially stronger collectively. A quintessential example of this has been the advising he
has offered to the Northwest Filipino American Student Alliance. Jazz has taken the skill set
he has developed in advising the Health and Wellness Crew and has seamlessly translated it
into a different context. Working with students individually to guide and challenge them
especially in event planning has resulted in programs that are well informed and highly
impactful to the greater community.
Jazzs care for students as well as colleagues is evident in every interaction. He is kind,
compassionate, and not afraid to laugh which allows him to forge deep relationships with his
students and peers. This authentic way of engaging makes him the type of advisor whose
perspective will be sought years after any formal role has ended. It may seem odd to say,
but I imagine Jazz will be invited to a lot of weddings because of the life changing impact he
has on those around him.
Finally, Jazz has a unique way of valuing feedback offered and determining how it can best
inform his practice in the future. He will often return to meetings weeks later having
adapted his approach based on a single conversation. He is also able to objectively assess
programs hes worked on and identify changes that will lead to greater success in
subsequent iterations. This continual eye toward improvement, coupled with his
compassionate demeanor and commitment to community make Jazz a force to be reckoned
with in higher education. I look forward to many years with Jazz as a friend and colleague.
Sincerely,

Ryan Hamachek
Director of Wellness and Health Promotion

WELLNESS AND HEALTH PROMOTION

901 12th Avenue, P.O. Box 222000, Seattle, WA 98122

(206) 296-2593

seattleu.edu/wellness