Garza Independence High School

May 20,2016
To Whom It May Concern:

It is with great honor and pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation for a student of
mine, Connor McLemore. Connor has been enrolled at Garza Independence High School since
his junior year and has worked with determination on the course credits he has received. Our
curriculum at Garza Independence High School is completely self paced so that students finish
credits when they have met the curriculum requirements of each course. Connor not only
completed curriculum at his own pace, but did so at the pre-AP and AP level.
Connor was enrolled in both my pre-AP Physics and Robotics classes at Garza High School. In
pre-AP Physics class Connor worked consistently from the time he entered the classroom to the
time class ended. Many times I had to remind him that class was over because he was so
engaged in the work he would not pay attention to the time. Connor is a natural at problem
solving within the Physics curriculum. He excelled at each assignment and took the time to
work with other struggling students during class time and after school. Many times in class
when I could not answer all the questions during the period I would refer my students to Connor.
In robotics class, the students have to complete a ten hour OSHA certification and have to
complete an extensive reverse engineering project. He and another student reverse engineered a
Nerf gun. The tasks were to take the Nerf gun and determine how it worked before taking it
apart. Once apart, the students were to draw an assembly picture of the stapler and create a "how
it works page" that 5th graders could understand the engineering principles and create a new and
improved stapler design. Connor took the lead on this project, worked diligently throughout the
process and made sure he and his teammate completed all tasks beyond expectations.
I worked in the Aerospace Industry in mechanical design before teaching, and when Connor
expressed interest in studying engineering I was ecstatic. He has qualities that not only lead to a
great college student, but a successful engineer. He works well with students, is not afraid to ask
for assistance when he needs it and helps those that struggle with the material. I highly
recommend Connor as he has all the qualities a school would want one of its graduates to
possess when sending them into the workforce. Please do not hesitate to call me for any further
information I might be able to provide you.
Sincerely,

~0

Garza Independence High School Physics Facilitator

nicole.howard@austinisd.org