A Note from Ms. Mazzoli, Iris's Counselor

Iris is driven young woman who has focused on a goal of attending the University of Connecticut. She has demonstrated that focus by enrolling in our new UConn ECE English course this fall. By attending the UConn Pre-College Summer Program, she will garner important academic skills, while also developing the prosocial intangible qualities that students gain while living in a college environment. Iris is an ideal candidate for this program because she has a strong high school background in social justice and in the artistic majors of creative writing and acting. The ability to work with collaboratively in an ensemble is something that Iris does on a daily basis. The Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts High School is a diverse magnet high school that celebrates the diversity and creativity of students and families from over 60 towns. As a developing student and artist, I know that Iris views the pre-college summer program at UConn in a very selfless manner. Therefore, I know that she will use this program as a means to develop leadership skills that will positively and proactively impact our school community.

Iris has developed into a mature and goal-oriented young woman. After a successful tenth grade year in English, she advocated for a rigorous and new opportunity during the 2017-2018 academic year. This is the first year that our school is offering dual enrollment courses through the UConn Early College Experience Program. While we targeted twelfth grade students for our new English course titled, "Seminar in Writing Through Literature," Iris was persistent in her willingness to rise to the challenge and expand her technical writing and textual analysis skills. Iris is a child of a single parent household and has always viewed school as an opportunity to grow as a student and an artist.