George Westinghouse College Prep ◊ 3223 West Franklin Boulevard ◊ Chicago, Illinois 60624

Telephone 773.534.6400 ◊ Facsimile 773.534.6422 ◊ www.newwestinghouse.org

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Kerry Leuschel, Principal Cynthia Leung, Assistant Principal
W. Terrell Burgess, Assistant Principal

5.25.2019
To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to very enthusiastically recommend Jessica Schmidt for your consideration as a member of your English Department.

I have known Jessica since the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year when she was placed in my classroom as a UIC observer.
Her professionalism was apparent from the very first email she sent early in the semester. I can honestly say that Jessica is one of
the strongest preservice teachers that has observed in my classroom.

What stands out to me the most about Jess is her reflective and inquisitive nature. This is what I want in a colleague: someone who
is not complacent, someone who initiates meaningful conversation about students and instruction, and someone whole believes
that teaching is a collaborative profession. Without a doubt, Jessica possesses those characteristics. Perhaps these stood out to me
so much in her as they are qualities that I usually associate with veteran teachers; yet, even before starting her student teaching,
these were qualities that were apparent in Jessica.

Seeing Jess work with students is a true pleasure. She started learning my students’ names since September, and she never misses
an opportunity to engage with them. I can honestly say that Jessica’s relationship as an observer is stronger than 95% of student-
observers who enter my classroom. While some new teachers have difficulty navigating relationship building and classroom
management, Jessica has never shied away from an opportunity to work with students. She always did so respectfully and
enthusiastically and so students responded to her in just the same manner. This is saying a lot when it comes to working with
teenagers! I am confident that this will be the case in any environment with students that Jess becomes a part of.

I was ecstatic, then, when Ms. Schmidt was once again scheduled to observe in my classroom in January of 2019, but this time for
more hours. Jessica continued to impress me as she also began to forge relationships among colleagues. Her passion for teaching
led her to take the initiative to visit multiple classrooms. Not surprisingly, my colleagues reported their approval of Jessica’s hands-
on engagement in their classrooms. Unlike passive observers ticking off required hours, Jess was always engaged and eager to learn
from others. The questions she asked me and my colleagues made apparent her reverence for the profession, her eagerness to
improve her own craft, and her professionalism and ability to become a great colleague.

Jessica Schmidt is already on her way to becoming a very good educator. She will be an asset to any school that hires her.

If you have any questions about Jessica, please contact me by phone (708.567.4182) or by email at mluna15@cps.edu. I am happy
to discuss her qualifications further, as I have so much more to say about Jessica and her contributions to my classroom.

Sincerely,
Melina Lesus, NBCT

Preparing Students for College, Careers, and Beyond