C. Jay Hertzog, Dean of Slippery Rock University

To Whom It May Concern:

It is indeed a pleasure to recommend to you Mr. Peter Riffle as an expert in the field of special education and as an outstanding speaker. I have known Pete for over 40 years and can attest to his love of his field, the students with whom he works, and that he is an inspiration to all who hear him.

Having gone our separate ways after graduating from high school, we reconnected shortly after he won the Disney award. Several emails later, I invited him to address our senior special education majors prior to their student teaching semester. Students and faculty alike concur that his session was one of the most interesting and informative they had ever heard. In fact, his message is so effective with our students that we have invited him back every semester.

In his sessions, Pete presents the "real world" of special education with all its ups and downs, the humorous and the sad, and told from the perspective of someone with a learning disability - which was not diagnosed until he was in college. With his 36 years of experience teaching special education, his presentation style has his audience laughing one minute and in tears the next. His message is one of hope and promise for those who aspire to be special educators as well as for those who are currently in the field.

It is my professional opinion that Pete will be the highlight of any function he attends. He has the personality to carry any situation in which he may find himself, and he has never met a stranger. He has my highest recommendation.

C. Jay Hertzog
Dean
Slippery Rock University