January 25, 2018

To the Attention of the Sterling Scholar Selection Committee:

I am writing on behalf of Samantha Aspen Davis who is the Sterling Scholar finalist in Vocal
Music for our school. I have had the pleasure of knowing her for the almost four years she
has been at AMES.

Sammy is one of our top students at AMES and is an amazing young woman. She is
inquisitive, takes classes that help her to focus on her future such as University of Utah
Writing, is supportive of others, likes to help the community with her abilities, and is open
to new ideas. She plans to pursue a career in the arts in music and/or writing. These
interests led Sammy to intern with The Community Writing Center through Salt Lake
Community College. Despite her shy nature, she proved to be a great asset to this walk-in
writing center where she assisted the staff with the work they do with community writers.
Everything that she does is done with 100% enthusiasm and she was able to learn an
abundance of information from the experience about her possible future career.

Sammy’s interests are primarily in the vocal and written arts . She is a kind and gentle
person who is almost always smiling and with friends. She has a strong work ethic and
works well both independently and with a group. She has learned this both through her
musical experiences and her leadership positions with youth groups. She will stay with a
project/problem until it is completed. She is very determined and giving up is not an option
for her.

I can highly recommend Sammy as an outstanding student. I have no doubt that she will be
successful in a university setting and will become a valuable member of the arts community.
Gaining this recognition will definitely be a valuable first step in helping her attain this goal.

Martha Smith Taylor

Martha Smith Taylor
Community Connected Learning/Internship Coordinator