UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA University of California, Merced Center fr Educational Partnerships 550 E. Shaw Avenue, Suite 105 Fresno, California 93710-7702 March 20, 2018 Harper Collins Publishing, 1 am writing this letter of recommendation on behalf of Christy Gonzalez, a senior at Merced High School. Iam the Gateway Scholars Program Coordinator and began working with students at MHS in November 2015. The Gateway Scholars Program is an academic outreach program modeled after UC Scholars EAOP that promotes and provides access to higher education through academic counseling, higher education workshops, and visits to university/college campuses. Christy is not only one of the most active members of Gateway Scholars, she has been instrumental in promoting Gateway Scholars and assisting in getting other students interested in learning/joining the program, Christy has utilized Gateway and the MUHSD Scholarship Counselors consistently with questions and concerns about how to navigate successfully through the application and financial aid processes. She is organized, her questions outline her concerns clearly, and her ambition and drive to be successful while at her university motivate her immensely. Christy is not solely dedicated to the admission/eligibility portion of her process, she is, also focused on learning everything she can about thriving once she is at a university campus. This foresight on her part assures me that she will be successful in whichever campus she chooses and will thrive in the professional field when she is done with her studies. She is a young adult I have am very proud to know, a student who will contribute to her campus immensely. Christy will benefit tremendously from any scholarship consideration as her family is unable to provide financial support during her post-secondary studies. She has received a number of admissions, many are from universities that are out of the area and would necessitate her relocation. Any scholarship dollars Christy is awarded would assist with the cost of room and board and allow her to focus on her studies. I cannot wait to hear about Ms. Gonzalez’s college experiences, Her personality is contagious and her kindness is one of her greatest attributes. She will be an asset to her campus, just as she is a leader at Merced High School. If you have any questions regarding Christy, please feel free to contact me at any time at (209) 455-0529 or at prarco@ucmerced.edu. ards, jets ADED Patricia Zarco Gateway Scholars UC Merced Center for Educational Partnerships | Merced High School