16th President Ruth V. Watkins of University of Utah

1/23/2020

President Ruth V. Watkins

c/o Office of the President

The University of Utah

201 Presidents Circle, Room 203

Salt Lake City, Utah  84112

Dear President Watkins,

My name is Matt Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan and I have a strong interest in learning history, social justice, and diversity. In these subjects or core values, I like to learn the need to make civil rights stronger to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution, have education reform to improve learning,  expand on diversity to accept people who are different  or come from a different background, and many others.  President Watkins, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work as 16^th President of University of Utah and some of your work in child language/speech pathology to be very inspiring to me.

In 2018, I was amazed on how you made history on becoming the first woman to become President  of the University of Utah. In your current role as 16^th President of the University of Utah, I truly appreciate on how you are a strong supporter of civil rights causes by advocating for people with disabilities’ rights and expressing the need for civil rights to be stronger to help protect women, minorities, and people with disabilities from being discriminated. Also I like on how you work on expanding educational awareness about the need to reduce bullying and harassment to improve public safety.  Expanding accommodations to help students with disabilities improve learning like extra time on exams or have educational software to help improve on comprehension, pushing for more tutoring services to provide students with help on their assignments from tutors, and implementing more arts, history, and basic classes to make education diverse is common sense for education reform. Also on education reform, I like on how you support literacy programs to help students improve on their comprehension or gain reading skills and heavily advocate with support the need for more Liberal Arts to help students find which courses are a fit for them or help give them an opportunity to develop skills for other classes. Your approach on improving diversity like hiring women, minorities, and people with disabilities to work for the college and push for programs to help educate people about different cultures along with emphasize the importance of diversity to accept people who are different or come from a different background is common sense.  Another thing that I like about your work as President of University of Utah is how you support expanding on social justice programs to help students understand the importance of how social justice can make communities a better place, push for more scholarships to assist low-income students or students who can’t afford tuition get assistance on getting into classes along with getting supplies, and work to expand more research programs to help students understand how different topics can make a great difference for society.  On your activism I like on how you are a continuous strong supporter of civil rights including people with disabilities, heavily express the importance of environmental protection,  support the arts to make society a better place, and many others. Also I like on how you use your experience in child language and speech pathology to help advocate for people with disabilities’ rights, express the need for health care reform to help people with disabilities including people with autism to get treatment, and many others.

President Watkins, I have autism with a learning disability. Having a disability is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different advance subjects, sometimes I struggle to communicate my thoughts, and get teased.  When I was a little kid  I would do teaching time where a therapist/speech pathologist would work with me on saying a few words, try to understand sentences, and many others.  It was challenging, but was great to learn some words. Later and currently I had struggles with my disability in education including my community college. Special education and learning support services help provide me with accommodations like extra time on exams, have a T.A. or tutor helps me learn different subjects, use a recorder including educational resources to help me improve on comprehensions along with improve on note-taking. In 2014 I was able to get an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts from Washtenaw Community College. Even though I got some education, I still struggle with a disability. Your commitment to be a strong supporter of civil rights including people with disabilities’ rights causes really inspires me to work hard on my disability. Also I enjoy reading some of your articles and hearing some ideas on Youtube about the need for speech pathology to help people with speech issues or who struggles with disabilities, the need for better protection of people with disabilities’ rights, and many others.  Your activism and your role as President of University of Utah gives me motivation to continue to learn history, social justice, and diversity. My future goal is to work in these areas to make society a better place.

I strongly believe that you are making a great difference for society, education, and social justice. I truly appreciate on how you are a support civil rights causes, push for education reform, expand on diversity, and advocate for social justice. Also I’m grateful for your commitment to help advocate for people with disabilities’ rights. You have inspire me to work hard on my disability, learn about your work, and continue to learn history, social justice, and diversity. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, working hard to make a great difference, and inspiring me.  Please continue to advocate for common sense ideas including people with disabilities’ rights when education, health care, and politics ignore them.

Sincerely,

Matt Winick

Got The University of Utah Socks