May 3, 2019

Dear Selection Committee,

It is my pleasure to write to you on behalf of Ashley Middleton. Prior to working with Ashley this year, I was aware
that she was a responsible, dedicated student who has been very involved in multiple student organizations. She was
well known in our school community for all of the right reasons. It therefore took very little consideration to choose
to accept her to serve on the inaugural Landstown High School Leadership Workshop staff. It was in this context that I
became more familiar with Ashley and came to admire her character and leadership capabilities.

Leadership Workshop is a major overnight event that requires detailed planning for over a year in advance. Student
leaders that apply to serve on staff make a commitment to participate in all aspects of this planning process. Ashley
was truly a “leader amongst leaders” this year. Her dedication to this responsibility set an example for others on
staff. She could be trusted to help guide meetings and ensure that tasks were completed if our committee chairmen
were unable to attend or were busy with other workshop-related responsibilities.

Ashley served as a counselor for our Elementary School Leadership Workshop as well as the high school event. As a
counselor, she had the added responsibility of leading a small group of delegates throughout the day. Students in
these positions had to have a thorough understanding of the schedule and of all of the materials being taught at
breakout sessions. Additionally, they must be able to connect with many personality types and facilitate
team-building amongst group members. Ashley excelled in this position while working with our elementary school
students and again while working with her peers, which I believe presents an additional challenge. The ability to
know her audience and adapt to different age groups is a skill that speaks to her maturity and social intelligence.

For Ashley, it is quite clear that leadership is not about titles or recognition. It is a service. Ashley serves her school
and community with humility and grace under pressure because she truly cares about the well-being of others. I am
honored to serve as her SCA advisor and know that she will be successful in any endeavors which she may pursue in
the future.

Sincerely,  

Chelsea Brechtel  
Chelsea Brechtel
SCA Adviser
Social Studies Teacher and JV Cheer Coach
Assistant Student Activities Coordinator
chbrecht@vbschools.com