To Whom It May Concern, April 2, 2017

I am quite flattered to have been asked to write this letter of recommendation for Virginia Teachers for
Tomorrow scholarship support on behalf of Serina Masaitis. I have had the pleasure of knowing Serina
for the better part of two years, having taught her in my Trigonometry and Probability & Statistics class
when she was a junior and having observed her growth as an integral member of our Cheerleading
Squads (both sideline and competition), Gymnastics team, and Dance Academy. This year, I have also
seen the growth in her passion for entering the teaching profession and her dedication to mastering the
skills she needs in order to be successful in the classroom.

I found Serina to be an exemplary student in the classroom. She could be counted on to arrive in class
with homework completed, ready to engage in the days instruction, and eager to contribute to group
work done at her 4-person table. Serina was a delight to have in class as her conduct was always
respectful toward her classmates and me, and she was always ready to volunteer answers to questions or
respond when called upon.

One of the things I truly admired about Serinas approach to my class was that while she readily
admitted that math was not her best subject nor her favorite, she was always willing to give a hundred
percent. She tried every problem on homework, quizzes, and tests even if she wasnt all that confident
in what she was doing. She seized every extra credit opportunity, and she strived for excellence in
everything she did. The most satisfying aspect of my academic year with Serina was watching her
progress from being apprehensive about tackling challenging problems to approaching them with a can
do attitude and discovering that yes, in most cases, she could be very successful, and even if she
wasnt, she would grow by trying.

I have observed the same qualities in Serina as a cheerleader, gymnast, and dancer. You will never see
her without a smile, and you can be sure that she will give everything she has to contribute to the team
and to support her teammates. There is always this comfortable air about her that she has done her best.
Above everything else, I have always been impressed that whenever I attend something in which she is
participating, she always makes it a point to thank me for being there to support her. I dont get that
from very many students!

In addition, as part of her Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow class this year, Serina has been accruing
volunteer hours by grading my students pre- and post-unit assessments and recently started helping me
with routine quizzes and tests as well. Provided with an answer key, Serina has done an outstanding job
processing several hundred assessments, while demonstrating excellent judgment when awarding the
appropriate amount of credit for partially correct answers. She has developed a real knack for
evaluating whether a wrong answer should receive one quarter, one half, or three quarters credit and an
appreciation for the fact that just because an answer is not completely right, it can be far from
completely wrong. She also fully understands, now, that simply giving objective tests graded by a
Scantron does not give one a true picture of what the student really knows. She also assisted me in
developing a survey that my students will be conducting in order to acquire data for various types of
analysis in class and has helped out with activities in my classroom during her study block on several
occasions.
So what can you expect from Serina as you consider her application for a VTFT scholarship? You can
count on getting a very dedicated student who will be a valued member of any community of which she
is a part. She will get involved in campus activities and be a role model for those with whom she
associates both in and out of the classroom. Serina is genuinely committed to and excited about entering
the teaching profession and with her work ethic, attention to detail, and caring personality, she will be
outstanding teacher in just a few short years. When she talks about the time she is getting to spend with
her students now, there is a gleam in her eye that suggests that indeed, this is what she wants her life
to be a few years down the road, and I know she will bring the same commitment to excellence that she
brings to everything else she does.

I am confident that Serina will make you proud that your organization chose to help her with her college
expenses in order to help her grow academically, professionally, and socially so that she can pay it
forward to the next generation of students. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact
me at (757) 621-3849. Thank you, in advance, for your favorable consideration of Serinas application.

Sincerely,

Stuart Heyman - Math Teacher & Class of 2020 Co-Sponsor, Salem High School