March 28, 2015

To Whom It May Concern:

I have known Amanda as a student in our major (Biology), as well, she was in my undergraduate
Microbiology course. But I gained the most significant insight into Amandas character since she started
working as a student assistant in Advanced Girls Academy for Math and Science at Alverno College. This
program is designed for first generation high school girls to support their interest in science and provide
extra exposure to STEM field disciplines. Amanda has the greatest aptitude for learning; she is excited about
education and her future as a science educator. She is exceptionally positive articulating the discipline and
serves as a great role model for both high school students and peers at Alverno College. Amanda takes upon
herself a leadership role, whether it is in a classroom setting or outside the classroom. For example, she
leads a study group in Physics. As well, she serves as a peer tutor for a student with a disability. Quite often
she shared with me what an amazing experience this is, and how she develops different strategies to help
the student understand the material better.
Amanda excels at the Girls Academy for Math and Science, where I work together with her, as a
Biology instructor. With no doubt, in the Academy, Amanda has demonstrated an absolutely outstanding
work; she is the most enthusiastic and hard-working student assistant I have ever seen. For example, she
has volunteered for multiple classes to develop lesson plans and to teach our high school students, which
she accomplished beautifully. Amanda uses multiple strategies to reach every student; some examples are
she knows and calls every student by her first name, she engages every student in the discussion by asking
them questions and inviting to contribute to the topic. She will never tell the student that they are wrong;
instead, she guides them until they arrive to the right answer. Amanda connects the new topic to the
material that students have already learned, basically, she builds the new topic on already existing
knowledge. By using real life examples and applications, she reduces the distance between the discussed
material and students. She is very positive with students, always very encouraging and will make each
student feel appreciated. Students relate to her a great deal, Amanda communicates her upbeat and
cheerful personality to the entire classroom and makes the entire class a greater place to teach and learn.
In addition, Amanda is a reliable and responsible student, with great time management skills. She
has strong social interaction and communication abilities that are evident in her teaching where she
presents the material in a clear and logical manner that reaches an audience with a very diverse level of
preparation. As well, she relates easily to students from very diverse backgrounds. With no reservations, I
recommend Amanda as a science teacher and mentor for students and I am certain that in the near future
she will reach her ultimate goal of becoming an outstanding member of education community.
Amal El-Sheikh
Assistant Professor Department of Biology (414) - 382-6144 amal.el-sheikh@alverno.edu