To Whom it May Concern,

I am pleased to write this letter of recommendation for Alyssa Arroyo as a professional of higher
education. I have worked with Alyssa for the past year as a College Access Director for The
Blueprint, a post-secondary access initiative in Hammond, Indiana. Because of her passion and
expertise, Alyssa has been integral to the creation, implementation, and evaluation of the
program.

As a foundation in a school district that does not provide adequate school counseling, it is
imperative that our small team is mission focused, dedicated, and reflective. Alyssa embodies
these qualities. She is able to push our students to their best fit school by teaching them how to
look for diversity initiatives, services, and other resources that institutions provide. In addition,
she builds relationships with students in ways that help them to feel comfortable in projecting
their hopes, fears, and potential roadblocks. This is incredibly important, as the students in our
district are at a high risk of not matriculating and not graduating from college.

Most importantly, she is able to provide valuable insights into the world of higher education as
we begin to scale the program district-wide. As one example, Alyssa has been the driver around
pushing our program to develop evaluative tools that ensure we are being reflective in every
aspect of our strategy going forward. With her contributions, the reflections have been pointed,
efficient, and effective.

I can say with utmost confidence that Alyssa is, and will continue to be, a respected professional
that I would recommend to any institution of higher education. I am proud to call her my
colleague and grateful for the contributions she makes to our students every day.

Please feel free to follow up via phone or email with questions, concerns, or follow-up.

Best,

Joshua Long
Executive Director
Hammond Education Foundation
jdlong@hammond.k12.in.us
219-682-5183