Last year, Allana participated in the Arizona Regional Brain Bee, a neuroscience
competition for high school students. I saw Allana weekly for chapter reviews and
discussions, as the reading and studying was done individually by students on their
own time during the week. Allana was able to prioritize and manage her time
effectively and was able to maintain her normal expected academic responsibilities.
After the competition was over, she continued to find ways to make connections
between the Brain Bee and anatomy class topics.
When Allana was a junior she was eligible to join the National Honor Society. While
able to maintain her eligibility status, Allana expressed frustration at the officers
who were running the club at the time. She ran for a position last spring and was
voted in by her peers as vice president for this year. I have been very impressed
with the way she has used her role as an officer to bring positive changes to the
club. She has been instrumental in helping to run meetings smoothly and efficiently,
helping to organize club fundraisers and community service events, and to help
communicate with other officers and members.
Allana was born in the Philippines and came to the United States when she was 10
years old. Her native language is Tagalog. Her parents made the move in order to
give her and her older sister a chance for a brighter future. Staying in the
Philippines would have put her family in poverty, as her parents (both teachers),
would have been earning the equivalent of $300.00 annually. This would not have
allowed for Allana and her sister to attend college. Her father currently works in Los
Angeles due to a work contract, and I know it is difficult for Allana to be away from
him. Having spent the first 10 years of her life in the Philippines, Allana is
challenged at times with communication issues relating to language barriers and
cultural differences that make it harder for her to ingest new academic information.
As her teacher, her struggles were not apparent to me. She is fluent in speaking,
reading, and writing English and has assimilated well into the American social
teenage culture.
Allana is currently interested in pursuing a career in the medical field, specifically,
as a general surgeon or in the field of neuroscience. Her maturity, diligence, and
strength as a learner will be assets to her academic growth and learning. I am
confident that Allana will be successful in her college years and as she moves
toward her personal and professional goals. I feel strongly that she is an excellent
candidate for the Honors College at the University of Arizona.
Sincerely,
Nadia Smith
Science Teacher