1. April 27, 2016
To Whom It May Concern,
The Wendy Fereday Swim School offers a unique swimming program beginning with 3 month old toddlers to 80 year old
adults, including children and adults with special needs. We have been teaching in Santa Barbara, California, for 35 years.
The school manages over 600 lessons per week, mostly to children from 3 months to 12 years of age. We maintain a
rigorous year-round program with both indoor and outdoor pools. Our clientele are mostly young professional families
from the Santa Barbra area; however, clients travel from as far as Ventura and Lompoc, CA for their lessons.
The success of our program is in direct correlation to our extensive hiring process of instructors. An applicant pool of
approximately 150, nets about 5 to 10 applicants that display the required traits for teaching at our school. We maintain a
four-stage hiring process that affords both the applicant and our school the necessary view of each other under various real
life working conditions. This process helps the applicant decide on the seriousness of the position and gives the school
insight into the stress level, work ethic, and time management skills of the job applicant. With this in mind, we have great
experience with Harold’s ability and determination as an employee. Harold has not only met the standards of an
outstanding, committed worker, but he goes above and beyond to shine as a teacher.
Harold became one of our prominent teachers in the past two years, a leader and example to his colleagues, and a valuable
member of our staff. He maintained a consistently friendly, upbeat, positive attitude with every situation, always
exemplifying the ultimate team player. When moving a child through the swimming process, the child is experiencing a
big transition. They no longer can rely on their mother or father; they must learn to bond and trust their teacher as they
acquire an unfamiliar and sometimes uncomfortable skill. The teacher is oftentimes, for the first time, separating the child
from the safety of their parents into the unknown world of water. Harold kept a great balance of comforting a child while
pushing them to succeed in their potential. He’s walked many students through this process, allowing for their young
minds to feel safe, cared for, and ultimately proud of their ability to accomplish new skills. Harold catered his lessons
uniquely to each child, and even brought innovative tools and techniques that have worked for him and shared them at our
staff meetings. Our swim school sees a variety of students with unique needs, different upbringings, and a diverse set of
fears or challenges. Harold took every child’s needs in stride, not only caring for each of their differences, but excelling in
bringing them to the next level of swimming and safety skills.
Harold grew to love the challenges and variety of teaching children to swim, and he would thrive in any situation you
introduce him to. He’s a leader and an example to the rest of the team, keeps morale high, and remains calm and collected
in every situation. Harold is somewhat unique, perhaps, from the general school population at U.C.S.B, in that he
maintained an honorable GPA while fulfilling his obligation with a rigorous work schedule.
Harold worked for the swim school for about 2 years, keeping his schedule very consistent in having regard for the
children he was teaching. He was on time and always went above and beyond what was required of him. It has been a
great pleasure having Harold be a part of our team. Please feel free to call if you have any further questions.
Warm Regards,
Wendy Fereday
805-964-7818