Garza Independence High School

1600 Chicon Street, Austin, TX 78702

Leila Cadag, Facilitator 512-414-8648 lcadag@austinisd.org

June 27, 2017

To whom it may concern:

It is my pleasure to write this recommendation for Maia Riekstins who was in my

English 2, 3 and 4 classes at Garza Independence High School. A dedicated student with a
stellar track record for academic excellence, Maia is a student most teachers only dream of
teaching.

Being an ardent reader and a prolific writer, Maia is an excellent communicator with an
impeccable command of the English language. She writes about any topic intelligently or
creatively during 10-minute writing periods and produce quality compositions that hardly need
any revising. Despite this, she revises and edits thoroughly and meticulously until her work is
flawless to her satisfaction. Adept in literary and rhetorical analysis, Maia has written
compositions in a variety of genres including volumes of writers notebooks and portfolios that
showcase her skills in writing and in art. Her love for English was evident in my class where
she seized every opportunity to interact with language. Articulate in discussing contemporary
issues, Maia did an excellent job at explaining her stand and arguing her points persuasively.
She has demonstrated this when presented an analysis of Shakespeares Othello and when she
read Tim OBriens The Things They Carried and presented a thorough research on Post
Traumatic Stress disorder among war veterans. In my decades-long career as a teacher,, I could
definitely say that Maias written compositions are one of the best, if not the best, that I have
read from a student. Maia received an Excellent Student award for school year 2015-2016 for
her outstanding performance in English. She also had the distinction of being a featured writer
twice in our Hallway of Fame Writing Gallery during her senior year.

No matter how challenging or daunting the task, Maia is unfazed because she works
with a sense of purpose. Maia is resolute in her mission to create a better life for herself. She
hopes to one day succeed in her chosen career, learn French, be a vehicle maintenance
specialist, continue to improve in reading and writing, and to contribute to society and make a
difference in the lives of as many people by continuing to learn, grow, laugh, and love. Diligent
as well as talented, Maias outstanding character and steadfast determination has made her the
proud graduate that she is today. She has the intellectual grit and maturity necessary for the
rigorous demands of any field of work or study that she decides to pursue. I am certain that
Maia will continue her triumphs as she forges ahead on the path of her calling. It is for these
reasons that I give Maia Riekstins my absolute highest recommendation.

Sincerely yours,

Leila Cadag