Open World Learning Community

Independent School District 625

640 Humboldt Ave. • Saint Paul, MN 55107

Telephone: (651) 293-8670 • Fax: (651) 293-5308 • open.spps.org


January 12, 2019

It is my great pleasure to write this letter of recommendation for Jaime Upton. I have known her for the past 4 years. I
have been her Spanish teacher for the past 2 years. I have also worked closely with her planning school events and as a
part of our Outward Bound Service group.

Jaime has been the top student in my Spanish 3 and 4 classes. These classes have been very focused on building students’
communicative language skills. Jaime has excelled in my classes through her hard work, cooperative work skills, natural
curiosity and perseverance. By always speaking exclusively in Spanish during class, she has attained a very high level of
proficiency given the time she has been studying the language. This is not a surprise to me, as Jaime is a person that
always fully commits to everything she does.

In addition to working with Jaime in the classroom, I have also worked with her in a variety of extracurricular activities,
most notably in the area of service learning. I have taken several week-long service trips with Jaime and her classmates
to Northern Minnesota. She has shown herself to be a collaborative, dynamic leader who always works until a task is
complete. I have also worked with her as a part of our Outward Bound Service Adventure group. This group of students
works each year providing service and fundraising to pay for a trip to an Outward Bound base camp around the country.
Once there, the students provide volunteer labor to help prepare the base camps for the summer season. Jaime has been
one of our most successful fundraisers and traveled to the Boundry Waters of Minnesota for a week of hard work and fun.
Her easy-going manner, maturity and many useful skills make her a linchpin of the group. Additionally, she has served as
a mentor to younger students as part of our Kurt Hahn Leadership Program.

Jaime has also distinguished herself in the arts. This past fall she played the lead role in Macbeth and has had key leading
roles in many other plays at our school. She is a fine actor who works extremely well with other actors, especially
younger students that benefit from her experience and mentorship. She has also participated in multiple theater
productions in the community. Jaime is the President of the OWL Music Department and a lead member of the Jazz Choir
and the Concert Choir. Her great talent combined with her exemplary leadership skills are highly valued by both
students and staff.

As you can see, Jaime has achieved a great deal as a student and as a person during her time in secondary school.
Working with her during the past four years has been a very rewarding and valuable experiences for me as a teacher.
She is truly an exceptional young woman and would be an excellent addition to any college community. I highly
recommend her for admittance to college. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions you might have about
her application to your school.

Tim Leone-Getten
Program Coordinator/Spanish Teacher
Open World Learning Community
St. Paul, MN
651-744-3981
timothy.leone-getten@spps.org