Letter: Dear Sheri Lambert

A student thanks a professor who helped prepare her for a full-time job after graduation.

Isabel PAYNTER (left), Adrianna Zimny (center) and Professor Sheri Lambert (right). | COURTESY / ISABEL PAYNTER

Dear Sheri Lambert,

Like most incoming freshmen, I had no idea what to expect when I began my education at Temple University in 2015. I enrolled in the Fox School of Business with a marketing major and elementary education minor. Although my minor didn’t last long, I immediately fell in love with the school and everything about it. 

As I continued my studies, I realized how lucky I was at Temple. My professors at Fox were amazing. They are 100-percent dedicated to their students and have left lasting impacts on me in their own unique ways. 

Sheri Lambert, a marketing and supply chain management professor, whose guidance helped me prepare for my first full-time job after graduation, is one of those professors. 

The first course I took with Sheri was during my senior year, but I had been vying for a spot in her classes long before that. A family friend recommended Sheri to me during my sophomore year, describing her as “fabulous.” I searched for her every registration period after. 

Not surprisingly, Sheri was in high demand. I continued to hear amazing things about her from previous students, friends and other faculty members and wondered if I would ever get a spot in her class.

When I finally did, in Fall 2018, I was ecstatic. I had nervously enrolled in a Consumer and Buyer Behavior course with a “TBD” professor — always a risky move, especially when you rely on Rate My Professor — assigned to Sheri a week before the start of the semester.

After my first class with Sheri, I understood the accolades that preceded her. 

As a mother and step-mother to eight children, Sheri’s authenticity and compassion comes through in the classroom. She supports students when unexpected dilemmas occur, provides thoughtful academic feedback and most importantly creates a safe classroom environment. Her class is not only a safe space for students to ask questions about class material but also real-life situations happening all around us.

Sheri genuinely cares for her students and takes hours out of her week to talk individually with me and other students — helping us with resume critiques, job hunts, writing or anything else. It was clear that while Sheri wanted us to do well in the classroom, she wanted us to succeed in the real world even more. 

For me, graduating this May, the real world is right around the corner. Sheri helped me prepare myself for my first upcoming full-time job that I will begin upon graduation. Her assistance this year has left a lasting impact.

So, Sheri, thank you so much for being that amazing professor. 

The time and compassion you’ve devoted to me is something I’ve never experienced from a professor before. All of my professors set the bar high, but you’ve set it over the top. Thank you for allowing me to grow in the classroom and as a person. The lessons you’ve taught me — academically and in life — give me confidence to tackle post-grad. 

Thank you, Temple, and thank you, Sheri!

Sincerely, 

Isabel Paynter

Senior marketing major

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