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Renaissance‌‌High‌‌School‌‌for‌‌the‌‌Arts‌  ‌
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“Where‌‌success‌‌is‌‌an‌‌art.”‌  ‌
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August‌‌10,‌‌2021‌  ‌
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To‌‌Whom‌‌it‌‌May‌‌Concern:‌  ‌
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It‌‌is‌‌with‌‌great‌‌pleasure‌‌that‌‌I‌‌write‌‌in‌‌support‌‌of‌‌one‌‌of‌‌my‌‌finest‌‌students,‌‌Maximilian‌‌Verdugo.‌‌  
Max‌‌was‌‌my‌‌student‌‌at‌‌Renaissance‌‌High‌‌School‌‌for‌‌the‌‌Arts‌‌in‌‌Long‌‌Beach,‌‌California‌‌where‌‌I ‌‌
serve‌‌as‌‌Director‌‌of‌‌Choral‌‌Activities.‌‌From‌‌2016-2020,‌‌I‌‌had‌‌the‌‌opportunity‌‌to‌‌watch‌‌Max‌‌grow‌‌  
tremendously‌‌as‌‌a‌‌performer,‌‌leader,‌‌and‌‌a‌‌truly‌‌wonderful‌‌young‌‌adult.‌  ‌
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Max‌‌is‌‌highly‌‌intelligent,‌‌responsible,‌‌and‌‌a‌‌natural‌‌born‌‌leader.‌‌During‌‌his‌‌time‌‌at‌‌Renaissance,‌‌  
Max‌‌served‌‌as‌‌the‌‌Vocal‌‌Music‌‌Club‌‌Treasurer‌‌and‌‌Bass‌‌Section‌‌Leader‌‌in‌‌my‌‌top‌‌vocal‌‌  
ensembles.‌‌I‌‌frequently‌‌called‌‌upon‌‌Max’s‌‌leadership‌‌and‌‌musical‌‌abilities‌‌for‌‌our‌‌various‌‌  
performances‌‌and‌‌events‌‌on‌‌campus.‌‌He‌‌brought‌‌an‌‌energy‌‌to‌‌his‌‌bass‌‌section‌‌and‌‌to‌‌the‌‌  
ensemble‌‌as‌‌a‌‌whole‌‌that‌‌spreads‌‌to‌‌each‌‌person.‌‌His‌‌great‌‌success‌‌in‌‌my‌‌AP‌‌Music‌‌Theory‌‌  
course‌‌was‌‌put‌‌to‌‌excellent‌‌use‌‌as‌‌he‌‌ran‌‌rehearsals‌‌and‌‌sectionals‌‌as‌‌the‌‌bass‌‌section‌‌leader.‌‌  
He‌‌was‌‌a‌‌true‌‌role‌‌model‌‌that‌‌his‌‌peers‌‌looked‌‌up‌‌to‌‌and‌‌that‌‌I‌‌greatly‌‌relied‌‌on.‌  ‌
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Max‌‌held‌‌himself‌‌to‌‌high‌‌standards‌‌at‌‌all‌‌times,‌‌in‌‌all‌‌of‌‌his‌‌classes.‌‌He‌‌was‌‌on‌‌the‌‌school’s‌‌  
Honor‌‌Roll‌‌every‌‌semester‌‌that‌‌he‌‌has‌‌been‌‌at‌‌Renaissance,‌‌and‌‌will‌‌likely‌‌graduate‌‌with‌‌a ‌‌
perfect‌‌8-semester‌‌record.‌‌During‌‌his‌‌four‌‌years‌‌at‌‌Renaissance,‌‌Max‌‌was‌‌awarded‌‌the‌‌  
“Promising‌‌New‌‌Talent”‌‌award‌‌in‌‌the‌‌instrumental‌‌and‌‌vocal‌‌music‌‌departments,‌‌“Excellence‌‌in‌‌  
Leadership”‌‌in‌‌Piano,‌‌and‌‌the‌‌“Most‌‌Outstanding‌‌Vocal‌‌Musician”‌‌award‌‌in‌‌his‌‌senior‌‌year.‌‌Max‌‌  
takes‌‌initiative‌‌to‌‌learn‌‌beyond‌‌what‌‌is‌‌taught‌‌in‌‌class‌‌each‌‌day;‌‌he‌‌is‌‌eager‌‌to‌‌grow‌‌and‌‌  
improve‌‌his‌‌skills.‌  ‌
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In‌‌addition‌‌to‌‌his‌‌work‌‌ethic‌‌and‌‌academic‌‌achievements,‌‌Max‌‌is‌‌a‌‌kind,‌‌loyal,‌‌and‌‌dependable‌‌  
person‌‌inside‌‌and‌‌outside‌‌of‌‌the‌‌classroom.‌‌He‌‌was‌‌the‌‌kind‌‌of‌‌student‌‌that‌‌makes‌‌your‌‌day‌‌  
brighter,‌‌and‌‌he‌‌is‌‌happy‌‌to‌‌help‌‌you‌‌in‌‌whatever‌‌way‌‌he‌‌can.‌‌It‌‌is‌‌his‌‌genuine‌‌personality‌‌  
combined‌‌with‌‌the‌‌hard‌‌work‌‌he‌‌has‌‌done‌‌in‌‌his‌‌time‌‌here‌‌at‌‌Renaissance‌‌that‌‌makes‌‌me‌‌  
certain‌‌that‌‌he‌‌will‌‌find‌‌success‌‌wherever‌‌he‌‌goes‌‌next.‌  ‌
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It‌‌is‌‌with‌‌full‌‌confidence‌‌and‌‌without‌‌hesitation‌‌that‌‌I‌‌recommend‌‌Max‌‌Verdugo‌‌to‌‌your‌‌Music‌‌  
Education‌‌program‌‌at‌‌James‌‌Madison‌‌University.‌‌Please‌‌feel‌‌free‌‌to‌‌contact‌‌me‌‌anytime‌‌with‌‌  
regard‌‌to‌‌my‌‌recommendation.‌  ‌
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Maria‌‌Dowell‌  ‌
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Director‌‌of‌‌Choral‌‌Activities‌  ‌
(562)‌‌901-0168‌‌x7200‌  ‌
mmdowell@lbschools.net‌  ‌

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www.lbrhsa.schoolloop.com‌  ‌
235‌‌E.‌‌8th‌‌Street,‌‌LOng‌‌Beach‌‌CA‌‌90813‌  ‌
Main‌‌Office:‌‌562.901.0168‌  ‌