Alisal High School

To Whom it may Concern:

It is with great pleasure that I write this recommendation for Mario Carrillo-Bello. Mario is the student that I have seen
push himself the hardest in my AP Physics 1 class. Notoriously known as the hardest class in Alisal High School. I
taught Mario for the first time in regular physics his freshmen year. Both years that I had Mario as a student, he
demonstrated the definition of hard work. He showed up to tutorials, asked questions in class and finished all his
work. He has the dream to attend college, and now will be attending Columbia University, a great feat. It is without a
doubt that I did not expect less from Mario, as he went from showing up to tutorials everyday to scoring a 4 on the AP
Physics exam, which has a 50% passing rate..

Mario is very passionate about the field of physics and math. His dream is to get a degree that combines his two
loves. He is leaning towards a degree in Engineering. Mario displays many of the qualities that successful students
have. He has great attention to detail, a passion for learning, a strong mindset, and curiosity. He has an immense
hunger for learning and is very skillful in problem-solving. Mario has taken many AP courses and has been a key
member in the founding of many school clubs.

Mr. Carrillo-Bello has participated in many extracurricular activities. He has been a part of the cross country and track
and field teams. Last year Mario decided to put his engineering skills to the test and with the help of one of his peers
co-founded the Robotics club, where he is the lead mechanical engineer. Mario also co-founded the Mathletics club
at Alisal. One of the things I am the most proud of him for is that this year during the COVID-19 pandemic Mario and
a group of Alisal seniors founded a nonprofit tutorial program. Their goal is to help the students at Alisal who are
struggling with distance learning by offering free online live tutoring in a variety of subjects.

On paper Mario looks like your typical high level honors student. But it is his background and what he has overcome
that will impress you the most. Mario comes from a family of six. His dad is an agricultural worker and his mom is a
stay at home mom. Mario and his family live in a one bedroom apartment. Where he sleeps on the living room floor.
His home is small and very loud usually but he still manages to study and finish his work. Throughout his childhood
Mario has tried helping his parents. At one point collecting bottles and cans to get enough money for the utilities.
Even with all these challenges Mario has risen to be one of the top students at Alisal. He knows education is the
gateway to a better future for him and his family. So why pick Mario you may ask? Because failure is not an option for
him. He knows what it is like to not be successful but he also knows how to persevere. He is determined and willing
to put in the work and sacrifices it will take to get a college degree. But most importantly Mario holds the key to open
more doors for his family, for his younger siblings. This selection has the potential to not only help Mario but a whole
family, a whole student body and our community in Salinas.

I give Mario my highest recommendation as he is an extremely bright and hardworking student with an enormous
amount of potential. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely yours,

Elmira Lising
Email: elmira.lising@salinasuhsd.org