A student asked me to write a recommendation for her yesterday. Of course I said yes but I was honestly FREAKING out.
I cannot write. Ok so maybe I blab on here, but a FORMAL letter? Um, no thank you.
I seriously sweated over it for hours. Typed and re-typed and deleted then re-typed again. I cannot write formally. I can't make her sound generic. I can't make her be a "bright and driven student" and "a pleasure in class". Granted, she is all of these things - but she is so much more than that. So much more.
So this is what I came up with:
To whom it may concern,
I recommend [her] for the IC CAE program. I have had the pleasure of teaching Miss [her] for the past school year.
I have only known [her] for a few months, but she is someone that I will never forget. [She] comes from a place where education might not be the priority. Where “home” is a little broken. And where dinner might not be on the table every night.
But you would never know that.
From the outside [she] seems like every other student; her story, very similar to others. But on the inside there is something much different.
She wants more. She wants more than a passing grade. She wants more than a high school diploma. She wants a life bigger than the one she has now.
[She] would be a perfect addition to your program. She is a quick and inquisitive learner. She has a thirst for knowledge that is almost unquenchable. She would take everything she would learn to heart.
I believe that this would be a sturdy stepping stone for her, an opportunity she wouldn’t otherwise have, and an experience that would resonate with her throughout her life.
Sincerely,
Lindsay West
Formal? No.
Grammatically correct? Probably not.
Written well? Not in the least.
Helpful? I hope so.
Because if anyone deserves this opportunity, it is her. And I can only pray that I have helped her get there.
