Kelsey Estes faced significant challenges when her family lost their home and had to relocate to a new town with fewer opportunities. However, she handled the difficult transition with grace and compassion. She helped her family adjust during their last few months of junior year by driving over an hour each day to finish the school year at her original school. Recognizing that her new school did not offer the advanced classes she needed, she enrolled in a health science program to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. Her dedication to her studies and vision for her future, despite the challenges, are impressive.

1. EFFCO
Jefferson Senior High School
f2644 Kelsey R Estes 2305 Pierce Street
Edgewater, Colorado 80214
PUBLIC SCHOOLS phone:303.^
Building Bright Futures
website: http://www.jeffersonhighsaints.com
October 26, 2010
To whom it may concern:
Often the things that cause us to grow, that make us better, are not the things that we would have ever
wished to come into our lives. I have had the privilege of getting to know Kelsey Estes as a result of
one of these surprise storms and the honor of watching this amazing young lady handle a very difficult
time with grace. Her family has gone through a financial storm that caused them to lose their home in
Evergreen Colorado and compelled them move to our humble town of Edgewater Colorado. With many
rental properties in the area, Edgewater is often a place of transition for families; as a result, our school
has a very high mobilityrate. The student body is 85% minority, and the majority of our students
receive free or reduced lunch. This is a different environment in almost every way from where Kelsey
was, and this kind of change has the potential to make anyone bitter or angry. I'm sure Kelsey went
through many of the normal emotions connected with a major life change and loss of this kind; however,
as she sits and talks with me now, she has come to terms with it and is embracing it as an opportunity for
growth. She has developed a compassion for others who have not had what she did growing up and
wants even more to be able to make a difference in the world - starting with her new peers and
classmates.
Kelsey's concerns as she approached this change centered on her family. She spent the last few months
of her junior year helping her family through the transition to Edgewater. She drove an hour each way
to school, first dropping her younger brother at his school in Bailey, then continued on to her high
school in Evergreen. This was a challenge for her, but she was willing to make the sacrifice so that she
and her brother could finish the academic year at their home school. Eventually the change of schools
had to be made, and Kelsey was positive and proactive. She made a great decision to enroll in the
Health Science Technology program at Warren Tech as well as Jefferson. In this program she is
immersing herself in some of the content she is most passionate about - science and health care. Sheis
covering Pathophysiology, Anatomy, Medical Terminology and Patient Care. She will also be qualified
to take her CNA license at the end of the program. Knowing that Jefferson didn't offer either a math or
science class at the level she needed, and that she has dreams of being a medical doctor, this was a very
wise and mature choice for her.
Her dedication to her studies and her vision for her future are impressive. She is very confident of her
career choice, and has been intentional in building a solid educational foundation that will prepare her to
be a great doctor some day. She looks for opportunitiesto help others and grow from the experience.
She is always learning, whether formally, in class, or through the hard lessons of life. I believe this trait,
combined with her determination and openness will continue to serve her well as she pursues her
College and Medical degrees.
Sincerely,
Lisa Gomez Moore, Counselor
Our Mission: To provide a quality education that prepares all children for a successful future.