TEACHER RECOMMENDATION:

I was lucky enough to teach Summer Nelson  in both her freshmen and sophomore year. With her confidence, tenacity, and positivity,

Summer is a wonderful candidate for your program. Summer is a student that fits well in whatever environment she is placed in. Her confidence allows her to always bring her most authentic self to any situation, and her peers respond to that, seeing her as a natural

leader in both the classroom and in her different extracurricular activities. One of the things I admire most about Summer is her ability to continually put herself out there, no matter the situation, no matter what I was asking her to do. Even when she wasn’t necessarily ecstatic about, for example, playing a dramatic part in Midsummer Night’s Dream or doing an impromptu speech in front of her peers, I knew that I could count on her to put forth her best effort, and she would always deliver. She is able to find the confidence needed to excel in any environment, even those that are unfamiliar to her.

I have also been consistently impressed by Summer’s tenacity and willingness to put in the hard work to make her dreams come true. In her freshman year she experienced a serious injury while skiing, which meant she was kept out of the regular classroom for weeks while she recovered. While this might have significantly affected a different student’s work ethic and commitment to the class, Summer remained engaged and hardworking throughout the months of her recovery. She would keep in contact with me consistently, asking clarifying questions when needed, exhibiting an impressive ability for self-motivated learning, especially in someone so young. She stayed on top of her work without complaint, even though she was tackling texts like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Homer’s The Odyssey by herself. I can provide a firsthand account that, when the going gets tough, Summer can and will put in the effort needed to not only get through whatever difficulty she faces, but come out ahead.

On top of all this, Summer’s positive attitude makes her a fantastic student to work with, both from a teacher's perspective and for her peers. She works well with a group, but she is also very self-motivated. She’s a person that comes to class ready and willing to work with a smile on her face, and her presence motivates those around her to work harder. Summer will willingly accept constructive criticism from those around her and immediately apply it. With her positive attitude and commitment to self-growth, I can

anticipate nothing but incredible success in whatever environment she finds herself in the future.

~ Joanna LoGerfo, Fayetteville-Manilus English Teacher