Balan Tudor, my student since 9th grade, is amongst the top five percent students in school.

However, I can certainly say he is in the top five students in Iasi at Science Subjects. His school, "Costache Negruzzi" National College, is the 4th best Secondary School in Romania, as decided by the "10 for Romania" awards committee, this being a testimony of Tudor's abilities. In classes, he stands out most of the time because of his quick grasp on difficult concepts and his ability to think outside the box and to always put forth provoking questions. However, what really impressed me is his inquisitive nature. If he is faced with the unknown he does not rest until light is shed on the matter. Outside classes he is a very open, sociable and humorous person, always having a joke at hand. At Chemistry Olympiads, he has made a lot of friends with whom he keeps in touch. He reads regularly, mostly in English, so he is very fluent in this language. Moreover, I know he enjoys watching TV shows, mostly comedies, such as Smallville, The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. Also, he enjoys games where logic is involved such as chess and bridge, being a good player of both. Tudor believes in a healthy lifestyle and likes running, a hobby which requires patience and commitment. During work interactions with Tudor, I found out that he is a highly ambitions person, a fact proven by the goals that he sets for himself. He is also very enthusiastic about Chemistry and its connection with life. I know that he has gone through around 20 books from my personal collection, totaling at least 10000 pages, concerning this subject, and that he still wants more of these to read. Some of the authors, such as S. Warren or P. Atkins, have published world famous books, "The Disconnection Approach" being one of these and also Tudor's favorite. This proves that he is hard-working and dedicated, and that he meets challenges head-long. Moreover, he was taught on numerous occasions by university professors, mostly during the preparations for the IChO, summing up about 500 hours. He has also a great deal of Laboratory experience, approximately 100 hours, in which he has developed very useful skills such as organization, patience, attention to details, time management (this arises mostly from the practical tasks at various contest where the time is limited). As part of the National Chemistry Olympiad committee, I keep in touch with the university professors which organize the National Team selection and they confirmed my opinion on Tudor. Furthermore, he is keen on sharing his knowledge and, therefore, decided to start a one of a kind project this year. Fully supported by me, as a Chemistry County Inspector, he is going to start a club called Olympic Center Iasi, where he will share his knowledge with younger participants at the Olympiad. This will enable him to experience teaching and to develop his organizational skills, as he is the project manager. He will work together with former National Selection Team members and help younger generations achieve the same level of performance, at the Olympiads, in the future. He wants to leave something behind, a desire which is also reflected in his career choice. The job of a Researcher, of a Scientist, would complement Tudor's skills wonderfully. He is accustomed to researching a subject alone, from different sources; he loves problem solving and dreams of having an impact in history. Also, his inquisitive nature will be an engine which will take him far on this path. I think Tudor will benefit from learning in a challenging and nurturing environment such as your university and that someday you will take pride on the

fact that Tudor will have been your student. Vasile Sorohan, teacher of Chemistry, Iasi County Chemistry Inspector, member of the problem selection committee at the National Chemistry Olympiads, teacher at the National Chemistry Camps.