Dear Admissions Committee,

This year, I have had the pleasure of mentoring Dayton as a student observer

for an education class she has been taking at the Career and Technical Education

Center in Frisco. From the day she joined our class, Dayton impressed me with her

ability to relate to the students, take initiative, and with her passion to continually

improve - both in and out of the classroom. Dayton is a talented student who shows

natural leadership ability, and she has my highest recommendation as a student

deserving of your scholarship opportunities.

Dayton is gifted at connecting with and relating to students. On the first day she

joined our class, she made an effort to speak to each student individually, and she

went above and beyond to learn their names in an effort to connect with them. She

effortlessly conversed with students and sought to assist in their learning by asking

guiding questions and clarifying misconceptions. With each passing week, Dayton’s

ability to provoke student learning stood out as an area of natural talent as she

continued to facilitate relationships to enhance student learning. Her caring

personality allows her to work with students in a way that makes them feel

comfortable in making mistakes and taking risks. She is an insightful, sensitive, and

driven individual who seeks to better the lives of those she meets, especially students

she has the opportunity to teach.

Dayton’s drive for making a difference in the lives of others was exemplified

when she took it upon herself to make a motivational-style video to share with others

as a way to remind them to focus on the positive things in life. Not only did she take

the initiative in creating this video, she also excitedly shared this with my students.

This experience supported the students’ social and emotional learning in ways that

even an expert teacher may not have considered. It can clearly be seen that she has
a passion for enhancing the lives of students and peers alike.

Throughout my time with her, Dayton has shown an incredible drive for self-

improvement. She consistently seeks out feedback and reflects on her own practices,

which is a rare and impressive quality in a student her age. With the feedback she is

given, Dayton pushes herself to improve and exceed previous expectations. After

previously being told that her classroom management style was an area of growth for

her, Dayton sought to excel in this area once she entered my classroom. She

consistently applies strategies she learns in order to grow and progress in this area. It

has been made clear that Dayton is the type of individual who will continually seek to

improve and excel.

I have no doubt that Dayton is going to continue to make a difference in the

lives of those around her and I highly recommend her for your scholarship program. I

strongly believe that Dayton will be an asset to any program she is accepted to

because she is such a caring, dedicated, intuitive, and talented student. Dayton is an

extremely unique individual who will, without a doubt, have a lasting impact on those

she meets. Please feel free to contact me if you have any question at

acostasa@friscoisd.org.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Sara Acosta

4th Grade Teacher

Norris Elementary