University of California, Merced Center for Educational Partnerships

550 E. Shaw Avenue, Suite 105

Fresno, California 93710-7702

January 15, 2019

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter of recommendation on behalf of Joshua Herrera, a senior at Merced High School. I am
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. Joshua has been an active member of Gateway Scholars since his recruitment.

In the time I have known Joshua, I have been consistently impressed by his self-initiative to seek out resources
to help broaden his knowledge of post-secondary opportunities. His family has been extremely supportive in his
ambitions and it has been their support that has carried him through his time at Merced High School. Joshua has
very clear ambitions in pursuing a career in technology, he is coupling his love of computers and video design
and will pursue greatness in this field. Although he is very ambitious, Joshua is a philanthropist at heart, his
love of community is extremely important to him. Once established as a professional, he wants to give back to
the community that raised him and create opportunities for students in Merced. These intentions are beautiful,
given that some youth focus on the negative attributes of their community and fail to see the beauty around
them. Joshua loves his community and credits his personal growth to those who impacted him.

Joshua has a personality that is kind, many of his peers look to him for support. He is a young man I am
extremely proud of and I am excited to hear of his successes in the future. He is both academically well-
rounded and possesses maturity and a profound sense of self.

I am immensely proud of the work Joshua has done and will continue to do, I wholeheartedly endorse him for
scholarship consideration. If you have any questions regarding Joshua, please feel free to contact me at any time
at (559) 241-7476 or at pzarco@ucmerced.edu.

Regards,

Patricia Zarco, Gateway Scholars UC Merced Center for Educational Partnerships | Merced High School