Sample Letter Requesting an Interview
Hampshire College Box 999
893 West Street
Amherst, MA 01002
email@hampshire.edu
413.559.9999
March 3, 2022
Dr. G. Pierson, Director
National Institute for Community and Justice
Western Massachusetts Region
90 Pulpit Hill Road
Pittsfield, MA
Dear Dr. Pierson:
My professor, Janine Elderson, recommended that I contact you. I am graduating from Hampshire College in May of 2023 and am very interested in doing advocacy work for individuals and communities who have been consistently targeted by oppression. I have visited the NICJ website and am excited by your organization's commitment to justice, equity, and inclusion through the vehicles of education and conflict resolution. Your experience in this field has led me to seek your advice about finding my way into a career centered in combating oppression in its many forms..
I got involved in this work as a high school student, and attended trainings that led me to help facilitate group dialogues with high school, and with additional training, college students. These dialogues explored how we can better understand and support each other around race, ability, gender, sex, sexual orientation, class, and size. After learning methods of informed dialogue and active listening, I worked to analyze and better resolve conflicts in groups. Working at a small neighborhood non-profit association taught me about the effectiveness of compromise when an organization is attempting to simultaneously improve a district and satisfy the needs of a diverse group of community stakeholders. The enjoyment and knowledge I gained from these experiences influenced my decision to pursue advocacy as a career.
I hope that you might find some time to meet with me to discuss careers that are explicitly focused on community advocacy and justice across all identities, I would greatly appreciate any advice you could give me. I have enclosed my resume to give you a better idea of my background thus far. I will be calling you within the next week to ask about the possibility of setting up a time for us to talk in person.
Sincerely,
Sally Student
email@hampshire.edu
413.559.9999