Mr. Parks says:
Moving to a new school, let alone a new culture and country, is a massive challenge, but one that Deborah has conquered with grace, intellectual curiosity, and a poet’s perspective. Over the course of the school year, I have been impressed and inspired with these three qualities that Deborah embodies.
Her grace shined from day one — a scholar that went above and beyond to help others with whatever difficulty they might be having. During group work, Deborah was always kind and generous, helping when needed to get a group member to participate to the best of their ability — a true humanist.
Deborah’s intellectual curiosity was a constant benefit, for classmates and teachers, to have in class. Her questions always strived for deeper learning and intellectual growth. As a teacher, it was a complete joy to hear her dig into a topic with her insightful questions, as well as a continued questioning of the answers.
Lastly, Deborah’s perspective is one of a poet. With her keen sensitivity, she would see patterns, either in current events, historical circumstances, or even fictional writing and harness her facility and passion for finding just the right word or phrase to express her thoughts and feelings regarding the topic. Her drive to find the perfect word is one of the reasons why you have mastered English so quickly.
I am so very proud of all the hard work and dedication that you have maintained, even through these scary and surreal times. The fact that you still put so much effort into your Senior Project, even as your days of being a senior have dwindled, is just another indication of your future success. I wish you all the best in the bright future that you have ahead of you, Deborah. I am sure the next challenges in life will be again navigated with grace, intellectual curiosity, and your poetic outlook. The fact that you are entering into the health profession does not surprise me in the slightest, and I am sure that the successes will be many on your path. Personality!
