March 5, 2014 Biola University 13800 Biola Avenue La Mirada, CA 90639
7 E. Baltimore Street Baltimore, MD 21202 T 443.451.1900 F 443.451.1915 www.worldrelief.org
Dear Sir or Madam, My name is Brittany Guy and I am a Marketing Manager with World Relief. I am writing this letter on behalf of Lena Smith, who has asked me to review and critique her portfolio. In reviewing Lena’s portfolio, there is no question she is a talented writer. Lena’s work is professional in tone, while also connecting to the reader on a personal level. I was particularly impressed that while her portfolio consists of a variety of work directed to different audiences, her voice and her ability to tell the story remained consistent. Lena’s work also reflects her ability to shoot and select photos to include with her written work. It is sometimes difficult to select photos that are interesting and draw the reader in while also complementing the story you are trying to tell. In her article titled Seeking Aslyum, Lena’s photos tell Razeq’s story on a different level. In this piece she illustrates her ability to capture the same emotion through her photos as through her words, something World Relief does on a regular basis. Her photos humanized and personalized the story, while her words brought the story to life. She did a wonderful job selecting photos that mirror the content of her article. All of Lena’s work shows her ability to tell a story that brings honor and respect to those she’s writing about, while also bringing awareness to the issues at hand. The circumstances and situations in which these people find themselves are sometimes sensitive, and it can be difficult to accurately portray their stories in a respectful manner. Lena does a great job pairing her own voice with the voices of those she is writing about, and sheds a positive light on them and their stories. As previously mentioned, Lena has a great gift of creating professional work while connecting to readers on a personal level. She has the ability to translate the words of those at the center of her work to evoke an emotional connection between their story and the reader, both through her written words and her photos. Her work has demonstrated her ability, and in my opinion she has the ability to contribute to organizations like World Relief in the future. Please let me know if you have any questions, or would like to discuss further. Sincerely, Brittany M. Guy Marketing Manager BGuy@wr.org