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June 8, 2016 <br />To Whom It May Concern: <br />Salk Middle School <br />11970 Highland Road <br />Elk River, Minnesota 55330 <br />763.241.3455 <br />Fax: 763.241.3456 <br />www.e1kriver.k1 2.mn.us/sms <br />Ms. Abranette Barry is a young lady that deserves your careful consideration as a member of the Energy City & Sustainability Youth <br />Committee. We have had the distinct pleasure of having Abranette as a student at Salk Middle School for the past three years. Abranette <br />exudes a quiet confidence that has had a profound impact on those around her within our school community. Although elated to see <br />Abranette's accomplishments while in our building and knowing she is making a natural transition to the high school level, we are truly <br />heartbroken to see her go. <br />Abranette has strong academic prowess and easily demonstrates this in her academic studies. One would think that a student of this nature <br />may complete the necessary requirements and simply be proud of her high achieving accomplishments. That is simply not the case with <br />Abranette. In her kind and confident manner, she is always pushing the envelope for her learning. For example, Abranette was selected and <br />participated in Genius Hour as a 7th grader. She self-selected her own topic of Stem Cell Research wanting to inquire about the risks and benefits of <br />research initiatives in this area of scientific study. In addition, during her 7th grade year she selected the topic of microbiology for Science Fair. <br />Because of safety expectations, she needed to find a trained scientist to mentor her through her project. On her own, she emailed and recruited a <br />microbiologist from the University of Minnesota to assist her with her research. Her topic examined the links between a strain of bacteria and <br />cleaning methods like regular water, soap, alcohol and hand sanitizer. I believe these examples go to show what kind of individual Abranette is <br />when approaching any topic. She will go above and beyond when passionate about a topic area. <br />Abranette has been very involved in clubs and organizations at Salk. She has been a part of the Math Team, Lego Robotics Team, National <br />Junior Honor Society, Band, Choir and Principal's Cabinet. She has routinely placed at high levels in the Science Fair and History Day <br />competitions. Through all of these opportunities Abranette has demonstrated amazing ability to work well with others, show leadership skills <br />amongst her peers and be an intent listener to other's perspectives and viewpoints. Abranette presents herself as a calm and confident young <br />lady whose insight is well beyond her years. <br />Abranette has strong organizational skills and can be counted upon to follow through with whatever she indicates she will accomplish. She is <br />tenacious about connecting with key community members or doing research independently to gather or gain necessary information to address <br />any issue that is presented to her. This quality has shown through during Abranette's tenure at Salk Middle School <br />No matter what Abranette pursues, she will have a lasting impact on the world around her. She will be someone to watch as she rises to <br />greatness in her own right. Don't let this young lady pass you by. Her abilities are truly a gift to any group or organization that has the <br />pleasure to work with her. If you have further questions of me regarding Ms. Abranette Barry, I would be more than happy to speak with <br />you further. I can be reached at 763-241-3458. <br />Sincerely, <br />Julie Athman, <br />Principal <br />