Debra Lew

Debra Lew -- aka "D"; of the dwarfs, "Sneezy"

Occupation:  Kindergarten Teacher
B.S., Biology, UCLA; M.Ed., Claremont McKenna
UCLA roommate

Debra and I were roommates our senior year (along with Irene and Janine).  There is SO much I could say about Debra, especially all the stories (and she remembers them all, too!!), but I'll instead describe Debra by letting y'all read an excerpt from a recommendation that I wrote for Debra as she was applying to grad school:

Debra is one of those exceptional people who builds up everyone she touches.   Enthusiastic and kind-hearted, she exudes a genuine love for people.  Indeed, Debra so naturally believes the best about everybody that, even after meeting her for the very first time, an individual will come away appreciating his or her own strengths all the more.

That's because Debra not only believes the best about everyone, she also brings out the best in everyone.  She is a leader not by dominance, but by contagion, if you will.  People want to follow Debra because she sees what many others do not.  She possesses a great deal of compassion for the lonely and hurting and would never be one to turn her back on someone who was struggling.  Indeed, she has shown her devotion to her own family by staying in the Southern California area to help care for her ailing father and her overburdened mother, even though she had the opportunity to attend graduate school on the east coast.  She made this sacrifice never begrudgingly, but gratefully, thankful that she could be there for her parents during this very difficult time.  In the same way, if there were ever a student who was difficult to handle or slow to learn, it would be completely characteristic of Debra to care for him even more.  Her gentle and encouraging nature would melt any hardened bully and inspire any slow student.

Debra is truly a natural-born teacher.  Her interactions with her nephew and nieces demonstrate that truth clearly.  She possesses the uncanny ability to communicate extremely well with young children.  Her expressiveness and creativity capture and hold their attention like nothing else I've ever seen, and Debra is genuinely enthusiastic about seeing them grow and learn.  Ask her about how her niece Julianne is doing and you'll understand what I mean.