Letter of Recommendation for Shaila Cranson PDF

‭Mercy High School‬ ‭ 9300 W. Eleven Mile Rd.‬ 2...

‭Mercy High School‬ ‭ 9300 W. Eleven Mile Rd.‬ 2 ‭Farmington HIlls, MI 48336‬ ‭248-476-8020‬ ‭mhsmi.org‬ ‭23 JAN 25‬ ‭This is a letter of recommendation for Shaila Cranson.‬ ‭My name is Nick Furiak and I teach Physics, Mathematics, and Computer Science at Mercy High‬ ‭ chool in Farmington Hills, Michigan. I have come to know Shaila as a student in AP Computer‬ S ‭Science A during her Sophomore year and this year as a Junior in AP Physics. I will also note here‬ ‭that Shaila is also taking AP Calculus this year.‬ ‭Shaila has impressed me as the absolute best that Mercy has to offer as a graduate. Each year,‬ t‭here is one student who stands out far ahead of her peers at the top of the class. Shaila is that‬ ‭student for the class of 2026 in my estimation.‬ ‭The attributes I have observed that make Shaila such an outstanding scholar are her time‬ ‭ anagement, attention to detail, willingness to pursue self-motivated learning, unfailing persistence,‬ m ‭and her ability to work with others.‬ ‭The calendar followed at Mercy High School is designed to educate but also to engender deep‬ r‭ elationships amongst students, embrace the school's mission, and promote appreciation for Mercy's‬ ‭unique culture. Deference to in-school events and activities can reduce instructional minutes, placing‬ ‭emphasis on the student's time management and self-motivated learning.‬ ‭In my experience teaching Shaila, she digs deeper into topics to achieve deep understanding. It‬ i‭s frequent that my STEM students are content with a broad understanding of all content. However,‬ ‭they lack the grit to dive deeper into the meaning of the topic and make connections across topics,‬ ‭methods, and disciplines. Shaila is an exception in this regard. She simply will not give up until she‬ ‭has mastered content according to her very high, self-imposed standards. I can also count on Shaila‬ ‭to create her own pathways to additional content and understanding in areas not covered in class due‬ ‭to time constraints. The latter characteristic is arguably mission-critical for success in AP classes and‬ ‭at University.‬ ‭Too often we encounter high-level scholars who lack the skills for interpersonal relationships and‬ c‭ ollaboration. Shaila has demonstrated a keen ability to collaborate in AP Computer Science A and‬ ‭AP Physics. Last year, I observed numerous times in Computer Science A where Shaila took the time‬ ‭to discuss topics with struggling students who did not always respond to direct instruction on‬ ‭challenging topics.‬ ‭As a final endorsement, I will admit that I wrote most of this letter of recommendation thinking of‬ ‭ haila as a Senior. She is a Junior of course, but she is such an impressive talent that my estimation‬ S ‭of her was elevated to a status equal to, and in many cases, well beyond that of some of my Senior‬ ‭students.‬ ‭ icolas M. Furiak‬ N ‭Mercy High School‬ ‭Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science‬ ‭Mercy High School is a sponsored ministry of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and is a member of Mercy Education.‬