That is amazing Crystal....sometimes it's good to be lucky ☘️

I loved the clicker method they used

Two guys with clickers counting people in the march in Davis

Or at least make it look that way

Wow that’s a lot 🤞

Congratulations Rainbo! such an exciting project!

Writing letters is a lot of work, but at a time when I sometimes wonder why I keep doing this, the satisfaction of seeing students be successful after leaving the lab is a big reason to stick with it

If possible I try to mention how candidate's personality contributed to success. The goal is for the reader to feel like they know the candidate at the end

The most fun stories to write about are almost like novels (except they are real!).....sometimes I ask lab members to help me fill in some finer details

Writing out how the candidate works through a problem helps the reader get to know that person in a way that can't be done from reading a CV. Sure the candidate is the third author on a paper, but telling the story about how they made a figure on their own can be a compelling narrative

It's easy to say someone great, but stories help the reader understand why. My favorite is to tell a story about a problem the candidate had to get out of (coming in on a weekend/calling the right person for help/trying a new idea)

Thanks for posting that Abby, great news ✨