To whom it may concern, Deb Cook was my AP Biology teacher.

I also was a student aide for the Biology Department, and had daily contact with Ms. Cook. In one letter it is difficult for me, to sum up the effect she has had on my education and life. She cares about education in a way that no other teacher I have encountered does. She is the only teacher I know who is willing to accept the hard road if it can make a difference in students lives. AP Biology was the most difficult high school course I have ever taken. But it was the only course that truly prepared me for college. Most students face a readjustment in college, realizing that the academic pressures and expectations are widely different from those in high school. Ms. Cooks class prepared me to face these challenges earlier. I was pushed not only to grasp factual knowledge, but also to master more broadly used critical thinking skills for problem solving. I learned invaluable time management skills and more importantly, how to study to truly engage with the subject. Her sense of humor and rapport with her students made each day an enjoyable, intriguing, experience. Part of Ms. Cooks success as a teacher stems from her obvious love for teaching. As she talks to students, both in a full classroom and in one-on-one settings, she conveys a passion for Biology as well as her goal of ensuring that students understand the material. Though I have been lucky enough to have many great teachers throughout my academic life, Ms. Cook by far ranks the highest. Beyond the classroom setting, she guided me in my learning to face the world. To this day, I still follow her advice of always taking advantage of every opportunity, pushing myself to encounter a multitude of experiences. My awe and admiration for her is endless. As I mentioned earlier, she works to better her students lives, all of her students. She possesses the incredible ability to treat all her students equally and with the utmost respect they deserve, regardless of socio-economic background, class-level, or any other factor. As part of a school system that often struggles with an achievement gap, Ms. Cook has the skills to help remedy the problem. She accurately judges students potential and pushes them to reach it. She knows that every student has the capacity to succeed. I am most impressed with how she taught general education classes. She approached them with the same enthusiasm and devotion that she gave to her AP classes. I remember the day I found out that she would no longer teach AP Biology, but instead would only teach the general academic level Biology. She knew that those students needed a teacher who could help them succeed. This had a profound impact upon me. In that moment, I realized that not only is she a gifted teacher, but someone who is willing to use her strengths to help those students who may need it most. Even though Biology is not my chosen field, I would gladly switch my major and return to high school if it meant I would have the opportunity to take more classes from Ms. Cook. I cannot recommend her highly enough for any position she is seeking. Sincerely, Naomi Wiener !