Gonzalo Garza Independence High School

April 11,
2016
To Whom It May Concern:
David Ziolkowski is one of those students that makes a teachers job not feel like a
job at all: he is easy to teach, easy to be with and easy to love. I was privileged to
have David in my class while he earned his final Spanish half-credit, the only negative
being that he was with me for only a short time. What a great time it was! The
qualities that David brought into the classroom not only made for a positive learning
experience for himself but also had a positive impact on the very climate and
productivity level of the class itself. Being as creative as he is intelligent, David was
remarkably able to inject an irresistible playfulness into virtually every task, while at
the same time giving it the seriousness with which it deserved. The results were
delightful, always.
David is genuine in his desire to learn, as well as in his interactions with others, and
he is inquisitive and without hesitation to pursue that innate curiosity. So waitI
have a questionwords that a teacher loves to hear, as it shows not only a student
who is completely tuned in to a lesson but who also has a sincere desire to
understand it. It is that kind of initiative and inquiry that will enable David to be
a lifelong learner, and it is his independent spirit and level of maturity that will enable
him to not only ask questions but, more importantly, to live into his own answers (to
paraphrase the poet, Rilke).
David is also a quiet and reliable leader. I could confidently pair him with a more
reserved student and know that, unattended, they would complete the task and most
likely with a creative and humorous spin, merely because David Ziolkowski was a part
of it. When we took a class field trip and watched helplessly as the city bus passed us
by, David admirably stepped up to head the pack with me as we made the one-mile
trek back to campus on foot. I suspect that the other students would have lost their
morale quickly in the hot sun had it not been for David and his model attitude.
David completed a number of quality assignments and projects while in my class,
including a children's book, Pete the Penguin (sure to be a best-seller!) , which tells
a sweet AND FUNNY tale about friendship, complete with colorful, distinctive
illustrations and humorous details that only a true artist would think to include. The
book traveled with me to Honduras where it was read to Honduran children during a
special story time, demonstrating Davids ability to use his communication skills to
affect others, even beyond his own community. He also corresponded a number of
times with our class friends in Latin America and Spain, and his messages were
always characteristically sincere.

To be sure, it is not only in my class that David has made a positive contribution.
Being an experienced musician, he and his band played as the main stage event for
Mix It Up Day (an event which David also helped coordinate), and we were all
amazed by his talent, which we talked about for days. David plays in a number of
bands and is active in the Austin music community. Throughout his enrollment, David
served on the Principals Student Advisory Committee, acting as liaison between his
peers and our principal, and he also represented our school at the Superintendent
Student Advisory Meeting, a district-wide student forum led by our superintendent.

For these reasons, and for others that cannot fit onto these pages, it is with
absolutely zero hesitation that I recommend David Ziolkowski for any academic,
employment or enrichment opportunity and look forward with anticipation to future
reports of what is certain to be a bright, adventurous and impressive future.

Respectfully,

Joy Blythe
Spanish Teacher
Gonzalo Garza Independence High School
joy.blythe@austinisd.org

(512) 414-8647