27 March 2015

Dear Kalleen Buchmeier Memorial Scholarship Committee:

Having known Kali when she was a student, I can attest to the fact that the student
for whom I am writing this recommendation displays a similar passion for GHS and our
communitymaking him a perfect choice for what your scholarship represents.
Therefore, because I feel lucky to have taught him in several English classes, including
Advance Placement English, and because he stands out as an admirable gentleman,
athlete and scholar among hundreds of advanced students during my twenty-plus years of
teachingit is a pleasure to write this recommendation on behalf of Ryan Nelson.
Ryan has thrived within a rigorous academic program; the essays he wrote
for a writing course designed for advanced seniors illustrate this well. By the time Ryan
began this class, he already possessed the ability to take full advantage of the writing
process, to express his ideas with thoughtful complexity, and to consistently demonstrate
clear, original thinking. At the beginning of this class, with typical self-awareness and
characteristic precision, Ryan reflected upon his writing process, writing that his best
process includes pre-planning each of my ideas, [and writing] until Im finished,
regardless of how late, then I edit the paper the following afternoon. This forces me to
finish the paper, regardless of how long it takes. The next day I usually spend around two
hours editing my paper. I praised the results of Ryans process when I assessed one of
his essays, writing that full use of the writing process, including thoughtful use of
feedback, definitely comes through in the quality of this draft. Yet, while Ryan began
with a solid foundation, with each revision of every essay, he also showed an admirable
degree of effort and a great desire for continual improvement.
In response to Ryans example essay draft, I wrote that his use of personal
examples, contemporary examples and literary examples balance well in this draft
enhancing the scope and complexity of your thesis exploration; in response to Ryans
classification essay draft, I admired how the draft discovered interesting opportunities
to explore developmental aspects; and in response to the first draft of Ryans third essay
(out of five) for that class, an essay in which he chose to use definition for its dominant
rhetorical strategy, I praised Ryans admirable use of several strategies within this draft;

in addition to definition, you use process analysis for the first half to trace the
development of the term, and also you use narrative to explain the chronology of your
experiences with the term. Youve succeeded in making them work together seamlessly.
These descriptions identify writing traits that I hope to see with my better students
by the end of this class, yet I wrote these observations after assessing the first drafts
of Ryans first three essays.
While descriptions of Ryans writing ability suggest his character as a scholar,
Ryan also should be considered because he is remarkable in other ways. Within minutes
of meeting this young gentleman, it is clear that his home and family have imbued him
with the manners, morals and thoughtfulness that any family would hope to instill.
I also know Ryan as an athlete and a student leader. Due to pool access, the high
school swim team must have faces in the water by six am throughout the season,
compounding the incredible dedication that that sport already expects. With challenges
that arise from being involved in numerous activities in addition to swimming, I have
never heard Ryan complain about being overly busy. Any complaints would simply be
out of character. As a matter of fact, he even insists that his classmates and teammates
stay positive, not only through his example but also through his encouragement. Several
time in my Advanced Placement English class, Ive witnessed Ryan telling his work
partners that it is time to step up and get to workand because he has also earned his
peers respect, inevitably they do. In these ways, Ryan is a natural leader, helping those
around him want to achieve more than they would without his affirmative influence.
From the time I first met him, Ryan has impressed me as being a well-balanced
individualboth serious and easy-going, both courteous and comfortable in his own
skin, and as ready to laugh as he is likely to show unabashed vulnerably by expressing
a strongly held belieffirst impressions that have remained accurate to this day. For
these reasons and many others, I re-assert my recommendation of Ryan Nelson for Kalis
award without reservations.
Sincerely,

William Rudolph, writing and literature teacher