Monterey Peninsula Unified School District

October 11, 2019

To Whom It May Concern,

It is with the greatest admiration and respect that I write this letter of recommendation for Steffiny Lange. I know Steffiny to be one of
the most ethical, kind, hard working, smart, generous, thoughtful, creative and delightful young people I’ve met in a long time. I have known
Steffiny for two years as her Digital Arts instructor at Monterey High School, in Monterey, California.
What I find most engaging about Steffiny is her ability to share her absolute delight and enthusiasm for life when she is speaking with
others. Steffiny has a definite “spark”, a “bright light” about her, and her naturally bubbly sense of joy flows out of her constantly, making
her a pleasure to be with. Steffiny is always very gentle and genuine with other people, and she easily attracts people to her and rises
effortlessly into leadership positions.
Steffiny has shared with me that she is most proud of her ability to stick to her own sense of ethics, morals and values, even with the
pressures and challenges that are present in every teenager’s life. The three words she feels that best describe her are, “determined,
adaptable and compassionate”, and she feels her friends would describe her as “goal-oriented, strong-willed and committed”. Steffiny
cares deeply for people, and for our world, and she seeks a career in which she can help both to thrive fully. Steffiny is a mastermind at
organization and using her time wisely, which is the cornerstone to her success in all that she achieves on a weekly basis. Each week
Steffiny works as a medical intern at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, she serves as the President of the MHS Key Club
(a service-learning group), she participates in different sports (Volleyball, Badminton), she works with MHS faculty as the Junior
Coordinator of our high school’s International Baccalaureate Program, she teaches Freshmen as a Math Tutor, she leads the Multicultural
Student Union, she is an active member of the TRIO Program at Monterey Peninsula College (a college-prep program for students from
first-generation college backgrounds), and is a student leader in our school’s Arts Media and Performance Academy. Steffiny keeps all
these “plates spinning” while also being a supportive member of her family, and maintaining a 4.0 G.P.A. in all of her academic courses.
Steffiny’s interests are wide and varied, and as much as she is thrilled to be heading into a career in the medical sciences (she wants
to be a nurse), she treasures the time that she spends working in the creative arts as well. Steffiny loves art, drawing & painting, digital
media, and playing the violin and the ukulele. Steffiny threw herself completely into her work in my Digital Arts course, taught herself
extremely complicated design software, and over the course of a year, created a series of beautiful, intricately-wrought illustrations, based
on a fairytale theme, which were exhibited in many local competitions and gallery shows.
Steffiny’s sweetness and kindness with others is complemented by her keen sense of professionalism, organization and ambition.
Steffiny is a natural-born winner: she is dedicated to doing whatever it takes to succeed in anything she is involved with. Her blend of
creativity, smarts, people skills, fun personality and work ethic make her a powerful natural leader.
I would definitely want Steffiny to be a part of any professional or creative venture I was heading into, as I know that with her blend of
strong people skills, keen analytical skills, and boundless creativity, she would surely lead our group to success. Please don’t hesitate to
contact me with any questions you might have about this incredible candidate; I would be delighted to have the chance to gush more about
her top notch qualifications. Steffiny is a true gem. Don’t let her slip through your fingers.

Sincerely,

Martha Tonkin, Digital Art Instructor ​mtonkin@mpusd.k12.ca.us​ 206.283.8440 cell