To Whom It May Concern,

It is with absolute pride and pleasure that I recommend Andrew Brooks to receive your
scholarship award. I have had the distinct privilege of seeing Andrew grow over the past 3
years into the respectful and driven young man he is today. The 3 years in which I have know
Andrew span from his sophomore year to his current senior year in high school. These
adolescent years are typically those of self-discovery and growth in any child’s life and Andrew
is no exception. What sets Andrew apart in my mind from the crowd is his personal
determination and self-awareness to actively set a trajectory and goals for his life and then
persevere to reach and exceed those goals regardless of any obstacles.

I first met Andrew his sophomore year in my Geometry class. As many sophomore boys are, he
was squirrly and questionable in his academic pursuits. What I did notice at the time though
was a clear sense of respect and compassion for others along with a drive to break down
barriers in pursuit for his goals. Throughout his junior year we kept in touch seeing one another
on campus and he stopped into my classroom now and again for a chat. From our
conversations he was beginning to see more direction in his life and, more importantly, have
direction for his future which was helping him set goals and thus break down barriers to achieve
them. Andrew enrolled himself in my Business Management class for his senior year which has
been a delight on both a personal and classroom level. My Business Management class carries
a distinct focus on real life learning in which students participate in simulations and projects
which involve working through real life scenarios. I have learned this year that Andrew has
chosen to work his way into the trades. He has not yet chosen a specific trade as of yet but is
pursuing higher education in order to not only learn more about specific industries but to make
himself more marketable once he does pinpoint his pathway. During my Business Management
class he chose to interview with an electrician in which he was praised for his highly desired
practical problem solving and mathematical skills. He also willfully took on the management
position of Chief Financial Officer for our CHS Food Festival in which he designed a multi-level
spreadsheet from scratch to monitor all aspects of expenses and income of multiple accounts
including Gross/Net Profit, Sales Revenue, Profit Margin, etc… I knew Andrew did not know all
of these concepts upon applying for the role of CFO; however, he also knew this as well and
came to me on a daily basis to check-in and ask questions. As a CEO, I was highly impressed
with Andrew’s business acumen and desire to learn. Each day he would show up to class early
and tell me about a new item he added to the spreadsheet or ask if something he did or thought
was correct along with an explanation of why he thought it was a good idea to include. Of
course there were days he would miss but upon missing those days he would reach out via
email or show up extra early the following day. Most days he missed he had taken it upon
himself to reach out to a fellow student and learn the material from the day he missed.

I feel that Andrew has an innate knack for real world problem solving. Some would call this
common sense or street smarts. What sets Andrew apart from other students and young adults
is his recognition of this and aligning his innate skill sets to an industry in which he enjoys and
can thrive. What truly puts Andrew in a position deserving of your scholarship is the growth and
maturity he has displayed over the past 3 years. He clearly has realized his path but his growth
and maturity have allowed him to realize his path comes with educational obstacles. He has
taken those educational obstacles head on with the perseverance and dedication to better
himself. Andrew is a shining example of the type of student I strive to nurture and send out into
the world. He has a bright future ahead and an award of your scholarship would greatly assist
down his path to a successful and productive member of our society.

Sincerely,

Cory Needham
Cloverdale High School
Mathematics and Business Management
needhamc@cusd.org
805.234.5267 cell