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Merced High School

H o m e

o f

S c h o l a r s

a n d

205 West Olive Avenue, Merced CA 95348

C h a m p i o n s

(209) 385-6465
James F. McElroy Jr.
660 Ashland Avenue
Turlock, CA 95382

To Whom It May Concern:

It is my pleasure to be writing a letter of recommendation on behalf of Miguel Rojas-Flores. Miguel was a student
in my English III class last year and has served this year, at my request, as a member of Link Crew; a program
that puts older students in a position to mentor, tutor, and support incoming Freshmen. As a teacher, I spent a
year watching Miguel work and was very impressed; not just with the quality of work he turned in consistently but
also with the level of respect he showed my co-teacher and myself and the way that he continually pushed
himself; not just to succeed but to excel. In this past year, as he has been part of Link Crew, he has shown the
same qualities and had the chance to be a role model for younger students.
Miguel displays his intelligence readily; both in class discussions and in his written work. He is insightful and
creative in his writing and thoughtful when discussing topics in class. He has maintained a G.P.A. above a 4.0,
something that is not easy in our current school system, even while taking A.P. classes and giving his time to
community service. His nomination to Boys State is a testament to both his intelligence and his character.
Miguel is one of those students that teachers are referring to when we say things like, I wish I had a whole class
full of He is respectful of both his teachers and his peers. He has shown that quality to me personally in the
way that he speaks and in the way that he acts in a classroom environment. In fact, it was in large part that
attitude of respect, and his approachability, that prompted me to ask him to be in Link Crew this year. I know that
our freshmen need to see positive examples of that kind of respect, and Miguel has provided that to them.
Motivation is a huge issue in student success. It takes a student who is internally motivated to be successful in
school. It takes one who is intrinsically motivated to maintain the level of academic excellence Miguel has while
also excelling in extracurriculars. While attending Merced High and achieving a 4.14 G.P.A., Miguel has also been
a Link Leader, the percussion representative to Band Council, and the Treasurer of the Hispanic Youth Leadership
Council. He was nominated to Boys State last year, named percussionist of the year in band, and put in hundreds
of hours of community service in our school and through his church.
I know that Miguel has plans for his future, including a Biology degree, medical school, and a career in Neurology.
I fully support his intentions and have absolutely no doubt that he will be successful; just as I have no reservations
in recommending him to any school that is lucky enough to be chosen by him. It is my sincere hope that he is able
to find the financial support to help him pursue his future goals. I know that he will be a good steward of that
support and use it to benefit himself and his community in the future.
Sincerely,

James F. McElroy Jr..

English II / Link Crew
Merced High School

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