Academy for Math, Engineering and Science

5715 South 1300 East

Salt Lake City, UT 84121
Phone: 278-9460
Fax: 277-3527
Ames-slc.org

December 1, 2016

Dear Admissions Committee,

I am delighted to recommend Emma Dean for admission into your program. Emma is currently a Senior at
the Academy for Math, Engineering & Science (AMES), an early-college high school located inside
Cottonwood High School. I have had the pleasure of knowing Emma since August 2015 as the teacher in
her math classes her Junior and Senior years.

The academic trait that has stood out to me the most about Emma in the past two years is her dedication
and determination to figure out how to solve problems. There was a particularly challenging problem on
the first big assignment in the Concurrent Enrollment Calculus class in which I teach her, and Emma didnt
see the algebraic trick to solve the problem. Instead of giving up or asking a friend how to do it, Emma
looked up a theorem that I hadnt taught the class yet, and solved the problem in another way. I was
surprised to see a method I hadnt taught yet when I graded her work, and I wanted to make sure she
understood the method she used, so I asked her to verbally explain the theorem. Emma explained
LHopitals Rule to me and showed that she had learned it by herself by looking it up and watching some
videos about it. I believe that this small act showed a determination to put in the extra effort to get things
done and get them done well. In fact, Emma was behind academically before she began high school and
says that she used to get horrible grades. When she began high school she was determined to become a
good student and began studying and paying attention, and now she is one of only a handful of students in
her graduating class taking the most challenging math class offered at AMES, and she hasnt gotten a grade
below an A- all through high school. I believe that Emma will accomplish whatever she sets her mind to,
because she has learned that effort pays off and is willing to put in the necessary work to reach her goals.

Another of Emmas best qualities is her ability to thoughtfully listen to and show empathy for her peers,
which makes her an asset to any group. At AMES the students sit at tables rather than individual desks in
all their academic classes, and they very often are assigned to complete a project with a team. I have found
that Emma is an excellent group member, offering ideas and showing leadership but also being willing to
listen to others. I have never seen her lose patience, and although she thinks of herself as shy, she has taken
steps to overcome her natural shyness and can usually be seen smiling and laughing with her peers.

Emma has accomplished so much already in high school, as shown by her impressive transcript and resume
of extracurricular activities. In addition, Emma is one of the most mature students I have taught at AMES.
Emma has a unique introspection that enables her to set and accomplish goals. Her writing also shows a
rare maturity for a high school student, and you can see her intelligence, humor, and personality in her
written words. I recommend Emma to your program with no reservations.

Sincerely,

Camilla Strong
801-856-4758
cstrong@ames-slc.org