To Whom it may concern,

Kaitlyn Piston is a leader in many aspects of her life that I have seen firsthand and
has also served as a leader in ways that I have not seen but have heard of. I have been
Kaitlyn’s young life leader for a year and have seen the tremendous ways she has stepped
up to be a leader at Frank W. Cox High School within young life. Young life is a
Christian organization that aims at introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping
them grow in their faith. She has served alongside her fellow classmates serving as a
student leader for the past 2 years as an upperclassman. She is not afraid to step in where
assistance is needed without having to be asked. Kaitlyn cares about people and it is
visible in the way she leads. She is a natural born leader who is willing to be assertive if
that is what it takes in order to get the job done.
Kaitlyn served on her high school’s volleyball team for the past 4 seasons and
participated in club volleyball. She has proven herself as a reliable teammate and has
gained the trust of her coaches and fellow teammates. She has been a mentor-like figure
to the younger athletes on the team and has shown them what it is like to be cooperative,
driven, and determined on and off the court. She was a key player in leading the team to
the VHSL 5A Volleyball State Championship title that the team won this past season.
Kaitlyn not only serves as a student leader with young life, is a senior in high
school, and a year-round athlete, but she also spent her free time creating and executing a
program called Buddies Helping Buddies Leadership workshop. During this program, the
staff pairs a local high school student with a disability with a friend for a day and together
they participate in a fun-filled day of activities and learning opportunities. Buddies
Helping Buddies just finished their second successful year of the program. To me, it
speaks volumes that Kaitlyn has been able to gain the trust of her teachers, fellow peers,
and the parents of these students that she would be able to run a program like this – it
adds to her leadership qualities and she will continue to grow as she experiences the next
chapter of her life at Mary Washington University.

Sincerely,
Addie Czerlinsky