January 3, 2018

To whom it may concern:

Catherine Bernardo is a very special young lady whom I met the first day of school,
in August 2014 when she was in the 9th grade. She is soft spoken, yet takes a stand
when need be. Her bright smile, her curiosity and her enthusiasm to learn was
evident for the 3 years I had her as a student. As her intermediate Spanish teacher
and later her AP Spanish Language and Culture teacher, I have seen her outstanding
work, her diligence, dedication and her impressive work ethic.

She distinguished herself with her ability to contribute greatly to class. She relates
the formal aspects of the language, culture and literature to her own culture and
surroundings. As a result the class drew from her timely contributions and many of
her peers gather a fresh dimension that would otherwise be lacking. Catherine is
insightful, altruistic, open-minded and a critical thinker: she questions ideas and
formulates solutions. She maintained an A in my class, and successfully passed the
Spanish Language and Culture exam of May 2017.

During the many class discussions and general conversations, I have come to learn a
lot about Catherine and her involvement in school and the community where she
lives. She volunteered at St. John’s Well Child and Family Center, where she learnt
organizational skills thus improving on using technology as she filed medical
records. At Amanecer Community Counseling Service, she participated in the toy
drive, brightening the holiday season to the underprivileged. At Kitty Bungalow,
she cared for cats and taught younger kids how to care for them and their
immediate surroundings.

Catherine’s career choice is in the medical field and she uses every opportunity that
will prepare her to reach her goals. She has received many academic awards and
recognition related to that field in school, and maintains excellent attendance. She
even worked at Walgreens choosing the Medicine section to help customers.

Catherine consistently demonstrates the ability to rise to any challenge, academic
and personal. She has been a member of the USC, NAI (Neighborhood Academic
Initiative) for the past 7 years. It is a rigorous pre-college enrichment program
designed to prepare low-income students for admission to USC or any other college
of choice. Catherine is definitely prepared for college and all its challenges!
Sincerely,

Albertha M Gibbs
RETIRED Teacher
AP Spanish Language & Culture / Literature
Foshay Learning Center
Email : mag5454@aol.com