To Whom It May Concern:

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I first met Kareem Downer-Shojgreen when he walked into the interview for our Vocational Diploma Coordinator position at Grand Ledge High School in August of 2013. Since that day, Kareem has gone above and beyond in demonstrating his skills, talents and desire to help others. His ability to connect with students (and staff) from all walks of life, to talk with students about their life experiences, their schooling and their goals as well as helping them see the potential within themselves, are abilities that Kareem continues to develop and foster in his professional as well as personal life.

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My work with Kareem during the 2012-13 school year was very intensive as the program we hired him for was a relatively new educational program in our high school (it was the start of its second year). Like many other high schools, we have students at risk of dropping out or not meeting graduation requirements. In order to intervene and assist these students to work at being successful, we started the Vocational Diploma Program the year prior to Kareem’s arrival. As we continued to develop and implement the program, we knew the teacher in that classroom needed to be committed, creative, talented and professional in order to get our students through the requirements of the Vocational Diploma Program. Kareem engaged the students from the start with his enthusiasm, persistence, and his many skills and abilities as a teacher. The focus of the program is to assist students in finishing their Michigan Merit Curriculum coursework and then focus on their post-secondary plans. This includes but is not limited to the creation of a senior portfolio with its many components, a ‘real job’ life experience of an internship, job shadow, and/or procuring employment in the students’ career centered area.

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Using his expertise and knowledge in the technology field as well as his passion for learning/teaching, he was able to help students successfully complete their required MMC courses, helped them become proficient writers, successful coordinators of information, creative graphic organizers, and PowerPoint/Pressie creators. All students completing the program are either college bound or headed for a vocational training program. The culmination of the Vocational Diploma Program is a formal presentation to an audience of their classmates, administration, the school board, their employers or internship coordinators and their family members. It is only through the patience, persistence, and skills of a teacher who loves his chosen field of work, to make the program work for many of our struggling students. As a result of Kareem’s work, 13 students, who otherwise would have been lost in the cracks of our educational system, graduated and moved forward with realistic plans for their immediate future. More importantly, many students graduated high school and walked out into the ‘real world’ armed with the skills and confidence of contributing and productive young adults.

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I would highly recommend Kareem for any position where he interacts with others, is able to teach others, or guide and direct others toward a goal. He has proven he can take on a project, directive, or idea and follow it through to completion...and do it with competence, accuracy, and humor. In addition, on a personal level, his compassion, sense of humor and his ability to connect with the students has served both our students and our staff so very well. I consider myself fortunate to have met and worked with Kareem. Even after he moved into a district technology coaching position at the end of the school year, he continued to stop in and visit with students and staff to offer assistance, support and a friendly smile.

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Thank you for your time and effort in considering Kareem for your position. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at the number and/or email address listed below.

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Sincerely,

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Laura M. Wyble

wyblelm@gmail.com

517-803-3714