A recommendation I wrote for a favorite teacher
To Whom It May Concern:
As a former English student of Ms. Kwon, I am honored to write a reference letter for one of my most influential teachers.
Junior year is a hard year for most students- in the midst of growing up, but not fully grown. Teachers often are faced with an impossible task of not only educating, but also molding our future leaders. Ms. Kwon always managed this task with intelligence and patience.
My class of almost 30 was regular English. I had been a shaky student before, alternating between A's and C's depending on my motivation and thus, hadn't quite qualified for honors English again. My classmates were mostly underprivileged students and minorities as well. So although Los Altos High School saw many wealthy individuals with active parental support, this class had a dearth of them.
Somehow though, through creative projects and individual care, Ms. Kwon was able to grasp our minds and attention. For instance, I still remember one of her first assignments was a personal questionnaire. From this, she was able to glean some of our personalities and interests to shape an engaging curriculum.
Additionally, she was a strong, young, Asian woman. Her minority status reflected ours and she made sure to choose curriculum that could speak to us. For instance, she assigned Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, exposing us to minority voices in an American English class. A tale told in our own voices.
But most importantly, Ms. Kwon somehow knew in that year I needed a mentor to look up to and to motivate me. She was always available after class for discussions, whether personal or educational. We spent many hours discussing the state of a society I didn't fully believe in. She instilled high standards and challenged me intellectually when she knew the basic curriculum would not suffice.
This continued even after I left her as a student. For instance, when I was a senior, she allowed me to lead a discussion group on Ishameal, a book that had changed my life. It was inspiring to be able to come up with lesson plans together to influence younger minds. Thus, not only did she convince me that I could succeed, but that I would. And that I should use the success to make a better world, instead of rejecting it.
This year I graduated law school, turned 25, and passed the California bar exam. I work in public service, doing policy research that will hopefully influence our legislature for the better. I have no doubt in my mind that my education with Ms. Kwon's and her individualized attention helped me achieve all that I am today. For that I thank truly her.
Sincerely,
Janet Young, Esq.
As a former English student of Ms. Kwon, I am honored to write a reference letter for one of my most influential teachers.
Junior year is a hard year for most students- in the midst of growing up, but not fully grown. Teachers often are faced with an impossible task of not only educating, but also molding our future leaders. Ms. Kwon always managed this task with intelligence and patience.
My class of almost 30 was regular English. I had been a shaky student before, alternating between A's and C's depending on my motivation and thus, hadn't quite qualified for honors English again. My classmates were mostly underprivileged students and minorities as well. So although Los Altos High School saw many wealthy individuals with active parental support, this class had a dearth of them.
Somehow though, through creative projects and individual care, Ms. Kwon was able to grasp our minds and attention. For instance, I still remember one of her first assignments was a personal questionnaire. From this, she was able to glean some of our personalities and interests to shape an engaging curriculum.
Additionally, she was a strong, young, Asian woman. Her minority status reflected ours and she made sure to choose curriculum that could speak to us. For instance, she assigned Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, exposing us to minority voices in an American English class. A tale told in our own voices.
But most importantly, Ms. Kwon somehow knew in that year I needed a mentor to look up to and to motivate me. She was always available after class for discussions, whether personal or educational. We spent many hours discussing the state of a society I didn't fully believe in. She instilled high standards and challenged me intellectually when she knew the basic curriculum would not suffice.
This continued even after I left her as a student. For instance, when I was a senior, she allowed me to lead a discussion group on Ishameal, a book that had changed my life. It was inspiring to be able to come up with lesson plans together to influence younger minds. Thus, not only did she convince me that I could succeed, but that I would. And that I should use the success to make a better world, instead of rejecting it.
This year I graduated law school, turned 25, and passed the California bar exam. I work in public service, doing policy research that will hopefully influence our legislature for the better. I have no doubt in my mind that my education with Ms. Kwon's and her individualized attention helped me achieve all that I am today. For that I thank truly her.
Sincerely,
Janet Young, Esq.