March 24th, 2017

To Whom It May Concern:

I have not known Ariella Sotelo long, but I believe that my willingness to provide a letter of
recommendation for her due to the impression which she has made in a short amount of
time is very telling. I met Miss Sotelo as a substitute teacher in the 2016-2017 school year.
In this time, I was able to observe her in many of her classes and as a leader of the El
Capitan Future Farmers of America (FFA) Chapter.

Ariella is a wonderful communicator and has excellent leadership skills. She has been a FFA
chapter officer twice and has participated in many leadership conferences where she has
built her skills. She works well with others and exhibits levels of respect and intellectual
and emotional intelligence that most do not acquire until they are well into adulthood.
Ariella uses these skills to conduct monthly FFA meetings and help lead the chapter. For
example, I have recently taken on a position as a long-term substitute for her Leadership
class where she has established herself as a class leader. She also showed integral fortitude
outside of the classroom when her teammates wanted to hold an officers meeting without
an advisor present in order to limit the amount of work that they would need to complete.
Ariella was concerned about the quality of work that would be produced as a result and
showed initiative when she made the unpopular decision to ensure that the meeting was
moved and held in an advisors classroom.

However, FFA is not the only activity in which she participates. She is also involved in
Theatre and the Speech and Debate team. She is keen on helping out her community and
has taken part in many community service events such as the empty bowl project. Ariella
has spent two summers helping out in the special needs class and Cruickshank Middle
school and has even conducted her own coat drive. Whenever given a task she makes it her
goal to not only finish it but to ensure that it is completed with the utmost detail. She excels
in understanding the concepts in class and offers her help to other students.

I enthusiastically recommend Ariella for any scholarship or academic opportunity.

Sincerely,

Nina L. Ferretti