2024 Study of the U.S.

Institutes (SUSIs) for Student Leaders from Europe

A pRecommendation Form for the Study of the U.S. Institute on
Journalism and Media

SECTION A: CANDIDATE INFORMATION (to be completed by the applicant)

Name of the applicant: Udișteanu Teodora
Country: Romania

SECTION B: REFEREE INFORMATION (to be completed by the referee)

1. Name of referee: Fermeșanu Andra
2. Title: English teacher for secondary and high school students
3. Work institution: Engleza de la A la C
4. Work address: Străpungerea Silvestru Street, No. 10, Iasi
5. Phone number: +40 741 335 219
6. Email: afermesanu@gmail.com
7. How long have you known the applicant? I have known Teodora for almost three years now.
8. In what capacity have you known the applicant? Tutor and Exam Trainer

SECTION C: EVALUATION (to be completed by the referee)

9. Please evaluate the applicant as compared to other students in terms of the characteristics
below:
Leadership Potential: Excellent
Cross-cultural Interests: Excellent
Initiative and Problem-Solving Skills: Excellent
Creative and Independent Thinking: Excellent
Adaptability: Excellent
Interpersonal Skills: Excellent
Respect for Others/Responsibility: Excellent
Interest in Community Service: Excellent
Maturity: Excellent

10. Please choose one of the following: Recommend with confidence

Please submit short statements in the space provided below, giving a candid evaluation of the
applicant’s past academic and/or work performance. Your statements will be given careful
consideration by the selection panel reviewing this application. Therefore, your comments
should be as complete and detailed as possible.

11. Applicant’s ability to express his/her ideas clearly both in writing and verbally:
As Teodora's Tutor and Exam Trainer, I prepared her for the Cambridge Exam, which assesses
candidates' abilities in writing and speaking, among several other skills (Her writing and speaking
scores were 186 points apiece.). As a result, her abilities improved over time, especially when she
returned from the short-term study program in the United States of America. Furthermore, she
writes for a variety of papers and is constantly involved in PR teams, so she is up to date-on the
writing line. I have no worries regarding her speaking abilities as I know she is outgoing and eager
to share her experiences with others.

12. Applicant’s ability to interact well with other students and professors:
Teodora pays close attention to others and expresses genuine interest in their points of view. She
sees role models in her teachers, taking attributes from each of them and aiming to improve as a
person. She replies thoroughly to remarks and questions, demonstrating a comprehension of other
people's perspectives. While being in the United States, she took part in several group presentations
and study classes where she had to deal with individuals of all types, and the results were
spectacular for her own development. She also knows how to organize a discussion and get what
she wants from a topic given, especially now when she studies English at university. She gets
along well not only with her classmates, but also with colleagues from other faculties and because
she is involved in Journalism Student’s Associations - ASJ, she has the opportunity to meet many
people from whom she can learn a lot.
13. Applicant’s strengths and weaknesses as a potential exchange student:
Teodora has demonstrated a good capacity to adjust to different locations and cultural situations
on numerous occasions. Adaptability, in my understanding, is critical for navigating different
educational systems, social norms, and lifestyles. She was able to study while additionally having
fun in the United States, which was a huge accomplishment for a 17-year-old teenager. She has
outstanding abilities in communication, both in terms of expressing herself and actively listening
to others. Clear communication is essential for forging lasting connections and getting the most of
the exchange experience. She tackles new situations with an open mind and a desire to learn from
different points of view. Again, consider her prior international undertakings, such as Erasmus+.
These characteristics help her to interact well with people of many origins and create a sense of
cultural exchange. As far as I know, she is still in contact with many of the people she met on her
journeys. While she speaks English easily, I know she understands that there is always space for
development, therefore she is committed to improving her language abilities during the program,
particularly in American slang. Furthermore, I know from her past visits that balancing academic
work commitments, cultural experience, and personal time might be difficult at times. As far as I
know, she is aware of this possible shortcoming, but she is willing to manage her time to ensure a
well-rounded experience.
14. Applicant’s outstanding or distinguishing talents and characteristics:
By and large, Teodora is a hard-working student who can handle responsibility well, as she is
constantly involved into a great deal of extra-activities. She understood that participation in
activities of any kind contributes to her development, therefore she is fond of always discovering
and improving her soft-abilities. As a volunteer and organizer of various cultural events, she has
learnt to remain calm in the face of adversity because she has had to deal with pressure and
deadlines. Furthermore, because she has met a variety of individuals, she believes in
multiculturalism and diversity, with collaboration being one of the values in which she believes
the most as a natural team leader. In that way, she knows that she can go beyond what is required.
Because of her upbeat attitude, she is laser-focused when it comes to completing a task. Given her
seriousness and determination to succeed, I have no hesitation in recommending her for this
program.

15. Applicant’s potential to significantly contribute to the local community in his/her home
country:
Teodora pointed out in her application form that she was active in various volunteer activities and
that helped her grow as a person. Some of them are cultural festivals with a large impact on people,
such as SFR or FILIT. Teodora learned a lot there, and now she is able to display her originality
in the articles and magazines she works for all the time. She is always looking for constructive
feedback, so I am confident that she is willing to improve anything. More importantly,
participating in this program allows her to become better at what she already values - journalism.

I hereby confirm that the answers on this form are my own and represent my professional
opinion of the applicant.
NAME: Fermeșanu Andra
SIGNATURE:
DATE: 26th November, 2023