GONZALO GARZA INDPENDENCE HIGH SCHOOL 1600 Chicon, Austin Texas 78752

To whom it may concern,

2012

This letter is to recommend Sarah Garza for college entrance or employment. I was honored to be Sarahs facilitator in Womens Studies while she was a student Garza High School, an academic alternative high school where students work at their own pace to complete all the state required curriculum and exams to earn a high school diploma. In Sarah I not only found a student willing to take risks in order to acquire new learning but a kindred spirit as well. As my student in Womens Studies, a multi-credit class that used US history and literature to explore the contributions women have made and are making to American society and the world, Sarah worked at stretching her intellectual abilities to learn the materiel and to learn in a variety of teaching delivery methods, such as lectures, group work, oral presentations and independent study. Working in a group Sarah could be counted on to do her part, support her fellow students and to keep the group working productively. In class discussions she was an active listener contributing her opinions in a respectful manner and not being swayed for frivolous reasons, but standing firm on her values and convictions. Though young, Sarah has a very mature attitude and outlook, which gives her the ability to work with adults as well as young people. She is able to concentrate and do serious analytical work and also be fun loving and lighthearted. This ability to understand the situation and the expectations of the people that surround her is a rare quality in a young woman Sarahs age. I like to think of Sarah as a fashionista, because of her inimitable fashion sense and style. She is a trendsetter not a trend follower. How does this translate into an important quality for a young woman going off to college? It is an indication of Sarahs abilities to observe, take in and make use of the direction in which the culture is moving. She does this not only in her dress but in being aware of the world in which she lives. Her quite and serene appearance disguises a mind that is always engaged and working. I observed that Sarahs friends came from all strata of Garza High Schools population and though the same can be said of a few other students, none in my experience here at Garza have done it and remained true to their individuality as Sarah did. Again, it is that unique ability to be an active part of a culture and an observer at the same time. I am also aware that Sarah deals with a physical condition that if not managed properly can impede her day and progress, however she excels at managing that condition and even when not feeling her best she was in class, participating and not letting her condition dictate how her day went. I learned about it not from Sarah complaining, but in a casual conversation we were having after school one day. Laura Grayson

GONZALO GARZA INDPENDENCE HIGH SCHOOL 1600 Chicon, Austin Texas 78752

2012

I am proud to have been her facilitator, her confidant and her friend. As she goes out into the world I know that her ability to learn, observe, think and engage socially will serve her well. She will be a positive force for any place of employment or institution of higher learning.

Laura Vela Grayson Facilitator 414-8618

Laura Grayson