Dearest Rachel,
As your mom I have the right to be the proudest person on the planet for the woman that you have become. It has been an honor to read excerpts of your dissertation as it developed and to see how brilliantly you teach. I could not be more proud of your accomplishments and wish you all the best in your teaching career. The world is lucky to have you in it.
Rachel! (Or should I say Dr. Rachel Anna Heffner-Burns? Seems only right that we call you by your full name from here on.) You are brilliant and kind and generous beyond words. You are amazing and so so so smart and passionate and insanely hardworking. I am so incredibly proud of you for this massive accomplishment and can only hope that we’re able to celebrate (big!) for you in person someday soon. Until then, know that I’m in awe of you for doing this thing (you really did it!).
Rachel! A huge congratulations for your incredible hard work and accomplishment. You’re an inspiration to me and you’ll be an inspiration to countless more as you take the next step in your academic journey. A thousand hugs and warm wishes. Go enjoy some time off, Dr. Heffner-Burns!
Rachel, you are so inspiring! Your steadfast dedication over the years is a testament to the compassion you hold for your work and the importance it holds for future readers. I agree with Ed, in the amount that we have read, we were pleasantly surprised to read so much of your voice throughout the text.
“Finishing this project in this particular moment has crystallized for me why it is crucial for individuals to challenge inequality and domination and to imagine and then create a different kind of future, one in which we can realize our utopian visions for a more just and liberated world. —
But just as significantly, I also affirm these poets’ perspective that religion might also provide vocabularies and expressive modes that we can use to celebrate the beauty, intelligence, and creative and spiritual capacities of the marginalized and oppressed, and to challenge the very systems of domination that religion has been used to uphold. In reading, researching, and teaching this literature today, I attempt to extend the project pursued by these poets.” (Dr. Heffner-Burns, 2020) (sorry- not MLA proper citing)
We are proud of you for speaking up and continuing to advocate for these poets’ pursuits especially during this time. Thank you for sharing your research and perspectives with us and the world.
With unending love, Hannah and Sam
Congratulations on this incredible achievement! You have worked so long and hard for this, and with 2 little ones seeking your attention along the way. A dissertation is challenging under any circumstances but you have rocked all of this! I knew you’d be brilliant at all of it, and I’m so excited for you to start this new chapter. Well done, Dr. Rachem!
Rachel, what a monumental accomplishment! Bravo!! With all the balls you’ve kept in the air, you have still managed to research and write a magnificent dissertation. This accomplishment puts a new twist on the old adage: behind every great woman there is a great man! Ryan, you rock as a husband and dad, a chef, grocery shopper and jack-of- all things needful – all the while handling the demands of your own impressive legal career with the government of Connecticut. Whew!
Rachel, you’ve written glowing words of gratitude about your mentors and their influence upon you. You will undoubtedly, as others here have said, have a great influence upon other scholars and your students in the years to come.
Sharon and I are so very proud of you! What a joy and privilege it was to proofread your manuscript. You have such passion for great ideas and their poetic expression, along with amazing perseverance. Thank you for taking us into the deep waters lying beneath the prophetic and courageous poetry of Whitman, Hughes and H.D.
Dearest Rachel,
As your mom I have the right to be the proudest person on the planet for the woman that you have become. It has been an honor to read excerpts of your dissertation as it developed and to see how brilliantly you teach. I could not be more proud of your accomplishments and wish you all the best in your teaching career. The world is lucky to have you in it.
Rachel! (Or should I say Dr. Rachel Anna Heffner-Burns? Seems only right that we call you by your full name from here on.) You are brilliant and kind and generous beyond words. You are amazing and so so so smart and passionate and insanely hardworking. I am so incredibly proud of you for this massive accomplishment and can only hope that we’re able to celebrate (big!) for you in person someday soon. Until then, know that I’m in awe of you for doing this thing (you really did it!).
Love you to the moon and back.
Congratulations Dr. Heffner-Burns! You are awesome and we are so proud of you.
Rachel! A huge congratulations for your incredible hard work and accomplishment. You’re an inspiration to me and you’ll be an inspiration to countless more as you take the next step in your academic journey. A thousand hugs and warm wishes. Go enjoy some time off, Dr. Heffner-Burns!
Rachel, We are so proud of you and your accomplishment. Congratulations!!
Rachel, you are so inspiring! Your steadfast dedication over the years is a testament to the compassion you hold for your work and the importance it holds for future readers. I agree with Ed, in the amount that we have read, we were pleasantly surprised to read so much of your voice throughout the text.
“Finishing this project in this particular moment has crystallized for me why it is crucial for individuals to challenge inequality and domination and to imagine and then create a different kind of future, one in which we can realize our utopian visions for a more just and liberated world. —
But just as significantly, I also affirm these poets’ perspective that religion might also provide vocabularies and expressive modes that we can use to celebrate the beauty, intelligence, and creative and spiritual capacities of the marginalized and oppressed, and to challenge the very systems of domination that religion has been used to uphold. In reading, researching, and teaching this literature today, I attempt to extend the project pursued by these poets.” (Dr. Heffner-Burns, 2020) (sorry- not MLA proper citing)
We are proud of you for speaking up and continuing to advocate for these poets’ pursuits especially during this time. Thank you for sharing your research and perspectives with us and the world.
With unending love, Hannah and Sam
Congratulations on this incredible achievement! You have worked so long and hard for this, and with 2 little ones seeking your attention along the way. A dissertation is challenging under any circumstances but you have rocked all of this! I knew you’d be brilliant at all of it, and I’m so excited for you to start this new chapter. Well done, Dr. Rachem!
Congratulations, Rachel! What an accomplishment!
Congratulations on this extraordinary achievement. You have been an amazingly strong and dedicated student and I am beyond proud of you!
Can’t wait until we can celebrate together! Lots of love.
Rachel, what a monumental accomplishment! Bravo!! With all the balls you’ve kept in the air, you have still managed to research and write a magnificent dissertation. This accomplishment puts a new twist on the old adage: behind every great woman there is a great man! Ryan, you rock as a husband and dad, a chef, grocery shopper and jack-of- all things needful – all the while handling the demands of your own impressive legal career with the government of Connecticut. Whew!
Rachel, you’ve written glowing words of gratitude about your mentors and their influence upon you. You will undoubtedly, as others here have said, have a great influence upon other scholars and your students in the years to come.
Sharon and I are so very proud of you! What a joy and privilege it was to proofread your manuscript. You have such passion for great ideas and their poetic expression, along with amazing perseverance. Thank you for taking us into the deep waters lying beneath the prophetic and courageous poetry of Whitman, Hughes and H.D.