March 10, 2023

To Whom It May Concern:

It is with great honor and pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation for my former student, Sloan Francis. I
was Sloan’s teacher from January of 2022 until March of 2023 for AP English III and Creative Writing. As Sloan’s
high school teacher, it has been a high honor to watch her grow. I am so incredibly grateful that Sloan was in my
classes. She is an amazing writer, an insightful social critic and an unbelievably strong woman, but when she
started, she was mostly Sloan of the Unparalleled Withering Stare.

I knew this because Sloan, as a rhetorician, had found a powerful exigence in the school dress code. She could
explain why it was unjust from a global perspective, a local perspective and a personal perspective. If I asked about
her stance, she would articulate herself with thoughtful eloquence, but I always knew I was one unconsidered phrase
away from The Stare. She has a look that could peel paint off the walls, kill weeds and stun even the most seasoned
educator.

The first piece of writing Sloan submitted seemed like a verbal extension of her patented glare. It was an angry
tirade scrawled on notebook paper. Even as a draft hastily written with the fire of indignation, it was clear that Sloan
could turn a phrase. For the next, as she wrote in my room, her skills sharpened and she wrote devastating poetry,
fiery essays and heartbreaking letters. Sloan has been through too much for someone so young, and it has been an
honor and a privilege to be allowed to see her growth reflected in her writing. In the same way that her control of
language has become more assured and precise, her prose more slow burn than wild explosion, I have seen Sloan
take a pause to think through challenges and we weigh options with the same effort she uses to weigh her words.
She constantly exerts a tremendous amount of energy to make sure she is the person she wants to be and making
choices she can be proud of.

I am happy to report that the last piece of writing that Sloan has shared with me is the beginning of a novel, and it
crackles with the slow burn I spoke of earlier. She has become such an assured writer, and when we talk about what
she has written, she already understands what parts of her book work as intended and what needs to be tweaked a
little. She is writing for an audience, carefully considering their response, and she is really, really good at it. It is a
lovely thing to see.

Sloan could easily go in so many directions: writer, lawyer, advocate, and I sure there are a host of other hidden
talents waiting to bubble to the surface. I cannot begin to predict where she will go, but I know it will be amazing. I
am always available to provide a reference. Again, it has been an honor,

Elaine McGinty
Garza Independence High School English Teacher
elainemcginty@me.com
512-751-6641