Academic Performance EXcellence Academy

An LAUSD authorized public charter school

1309 North Wilton Place Office #321

Los Angeles, CA 90028
Phone (323) 817-6550 FAX (323) 817-6555
http://www.apexacademyla.org

Administration
Alfonso Paz
School Director

Cesar Arturo Lopez

School Director

Rachel Livingston
Assistant Principal

Governing Board
Gail Shaw-Hawkins, Chair
John Berns, Vice-chair
Deanna Whitestone
Ken Easum, Ed. D.
Gloria Pineda

February 3, 2016
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing this letter on behalf of Kristin Daniels, who has been working as a counseling intern at
APEX Academy since October 2014. When I met Kristin, she was extremely interested in being a part
of our counseling staff as a volunteer, in order to observe our process for creating and maintaining a
counseling centered school. Because of Kristins enthusiasm and knowledge for counseling, as well as
her genial nature, strong intelligence, and thoughtful professionalism, we quickly expanded Kristins
role to that of an official counseling intern, and included her in the many counseling activities at
APEX. Some of the specifics include:

Maintaining a 12 student caseload of middle and high school students in order to support them
through academic, social emotional, discipline, and crisis counseling
Coordinating and presenting presentations to parents and students
Tracking and counseling graduating seniors who are on the APEX Truancy Action list
Assisting in creating and leading Restorative Circles program in the middle school
Using data to help determine counseling department initiatives and resource allocation
Assistant-Coordinator for Discover Your Future, APEXs interactive career day

During her time with APEX, I have found Kristin to be an incredibly focused and thoughtful
counselor. She brings great insight and a positive attitude to each interaction, whether it is with a
student, parent, or staff member. She is always interested to learn and grow, seeking out opportunities
to work with students and staff in as many situations as possible. During the time she has worked with
us I have built a great respect for her flexibility, work ethic, and commitment to students. She has
tremendous personal and professional integrity and a desire to learn and hone her craft that is rare to
see in a new school counselor. She goes out of her way to connect with students and build a deep and
meaningful rapport with them. I have observed her working with students in small groups, large
groups, and one-on-one scenarios, and each time come away impressed and inspired by her. Kristin is
also a very determined counselor. She will work at a problem, coming at it from different angles and
applying different strategies, until finding a solution that fits.
Kristin is a naturally gifted counselor. Combined with her thorough training in modern counseling
methods, restorative practices, and data based decision-making, those natural skills make her the
strongest counseling intern I have ever had the opportunity to work with. During the time that she has
worked at APEX, Kristins excellent counseling skills and commitment to students have consistently
made her stand out in our school community. She has truly become a part of the fabric of our school.
I highly recommend Kristin to any counseling department position. She is a gem. You will be lucky to
have her!
Rachel Livingston, MA, PPS
Assistant Principal