Letter #1: Mohamed Bahgat (Private Instructor/Tutor Client)
April 30, 2014
I have been asked to submit a letter of recommendation by my son’s tutor, Milisa Sammaciccia Ismail. Milisa has tutored my son in social sciences, math and English for two years now (since 2012) and has done incredible work with him. When I first hired her she took her time to sit and talk with me and my wife about what areas my son needed help in and we explained he was struggling with the areas I mentioned. We explained that he was on an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) through the Center Academy and the guidance counselor. She asked to review my son’s work and we quickly identified that, although my son is very bright, he was having a hard time connecting to the material. Milisa explained that “there are many paths to get to the destination and not every path is right for everyone. It’s quite possible that your son is having difficulty following the suggested learning path by his teachers but its okay, there are many ways – we just need to find the one for him. Once I identify his preferred learning style, we can reduce his frustration and the barrier ”. She explained that she had ways of helping him connect with the material by sitting with him and presenting alternates until he grasped the material. She actually made the learning fun!
Milisa worked closely with my son’s teachers and gave us an update on his progress after each session. At first we asked her to come once a week but after the first session and watching her with him, we asked her to come three times a week. Milisa went even further by offering her Skype ID for when he got “stuck” and needed her. She was available to us by email, phone and through the computer. Many, many, many times on the days in between their session, my son would contact her and she would work with him on her off time. It was clear to us that helping him was her priority. The feedback she provided to us helped us as his parents feel like we were part of the process.
We believe that Milisa will be an asset to any position she applies for and that she is an incredible teacher. I send this letter with the highest of recommendations!
Respectfully Submitted,
Mohamed H. Bahgat
Letter #2: Tina Pivero (Private Instructor/Tutor Client)
05/01/2014
Dear Sir/Madam:
I am writing this letter of recommendation for Milisa Sammaciccia-Ismail regarding her tutoring services for my stepson Ahmed, which I am more than happy to provide. I have known Milisa for over eight years now. When my stepson entered the US, he was severely deficient academically, having quit school in London at age 15. My new husband and I decided that the GED program would be a better choice for him rather than trying to put him into school here in the US. I was referred to Milisa through a mutual friend and hired her to help him with his studies in all subject areas. He was verbal about previous teacher’s attempts to help him failing and admitted that he had a resistance of willingness and openness to go any further in his studies. Milisa explained that she wanted to do an evaluation to see where his strengths were in each subject area and to determine where he needed help. She sat with my husband, Ahmed and me, and explained everything step-by-step and her recommendations. After the evaluation, she provided an outline of where he was at in his studies, where he needed to focus in order to pass the GED, and what she felt he needed in order to reach his goals through a learning plan.
She worked with Ahmed three times a week for an hour each time, sometimes more, for more than six months. My husband and I actually saw my stepson get excited about his schoolwork and his attitude turned to being a proactive participant in his own learning. She was patient, kind and worked with him slowly, using different ways to reach him and help him understand. She provided him with work he needed to do on his own, and on larger assignments (such as writing) she would grade from home, scan and email back to him for corrections or modifications so that the concepts were fresh in his mind. She emailed presentations for him to review to enhance his learning, connect to the material and have available during his independent studying. She brought an eraser board so they could both work together. A good example would be Ahmed’s math skills, which were his weakest area. When she first started with him, he could only add and subtract. He didn’t understand even the fundamentals of multiplication, division or past that. She was able to help him make sense of each area as they moved through the material. When he became stuck, she would stop and focus on that area until she was confident in his knowledge of the concept and he had the confidence necessary for what she called “the building blocks of math.”
Through her teaching, she gave my stepson the confidence in his schoolwork and himself, as we had never seen before. She not only helped Ahmed successfully pass his GED, but his scores were fantastic! My stepson entered college in the fall of 2011 and we know in our hearts that he would never have had this chance if it were not for all the work Milisa did with him. The encouragement, patience, motivation, she used along with her skills and creativity made a huge difference in his like in ways that I just cannot express in works. If you need to speak with me about her work or discuss how she affects learning with others, I would be happy to talk to you. She comes to you with the highest recommendation I could possibly give.
Sincerely,
Tina Pivero
Letter #3: Gretchen Finley (Lead Instructor)
April 15,2014
To Whom it May Concern:
I met Milisa Ismail when she was hired as our Student Accounts Coordinator at the Largo campus of Fortis College in 2012. Though she worked in the Business Office it was discovered Milisa’s credentials were academically diverse. We were in need of a math instructor and she readily accepted the invitation forging a lasting rapport with both students and faculty.
Milisa is one of those rare individuals with a balance of compassion, intelligence, and a firm hand in the classroom. She genuinely enjoyed guiding and challenging her students to do their best work using a variety of resources, including Socratic Q&A, posted objectives, clearly defined instruction, and multimedia technology. Some of our students are rough around the edges, but Milisa’s quick wit and sense of humor put them at ease. Many referred to Milisa’s class as “the good math class.”
I am pleased to recommend Milisa A. Ismail as a faculty member for any discipline or grade level. People with her character and commitment are hard to find. Those facilities that recognize the value of a well-rounded individual like Milisa are fortunate.
Please feel free to call me with any questions you may have about this applicant.
Sincerely,
Gretchen Finley
Letter #4: Brandie Ross (Professional Reference, Business Management/Trainer)
29 April 2014
Dear Human Resource Manager:
A former employee of mine, Milisa A. Sammaciccia Ismail, has requested a formal letter of recommendation regarding her position as Business Manager for TRS, Inc. Although I am no longer with the company, as her immediate supervisor previously, I am happy to provide a statement as to our professional experience together.
Milisa was scouted by the then owner of the company in the Spring of 2006 based on her business reputation and some rather strategic business decisions she was responsible for that had made an impact in our area of the industry. She joined our management teach in May of 2006 and from the beginning had proved herself to be more than a wise choice, and, an invaluable asset to the company. The division Milisa assumed was the most difficult and troubled in the company. Employee morale and organization was almost non-existent, training was haphazardly administered, if at all, and customers were actively seeking other sources to handle their business. In a very short time, Milisa turned every aspect of her division in a 180 degree direction. She tirelessly worked with employees, often on her own time, empowering them through their skills and forming teams to promote cross-training and skill development. More often than not, she was at the office prior to most anyone arriving and still there until long after everyone had left for the day. Her typical work week was 80+ hours long with her working from home through a remote connection to our server as well.
Milisa’s client and employee skills were beyond words. She dove into her position, learning the particulars both quickly and efficiently; and, she began problem-solving on every level effectively. Her professionalism was unlike anything I had encountered previously in our business and she demonstrated a genuine concern, compassion and understanding even in the most difficult of situations. She was unfamiliar with our reservations platform but located a manual in the office, studied it from home and worked with the software developer to master it in record time. No matter how hectic her schedule, she always made time to listen and saw each and every problem through to 100% satisfaction, be they employee, management or customer. She implemented employee incentive programs, appropriate bonus structures, employee training classes, employee appreciation luncheons and she effectively revamped the employee benefits program. She implemented a weekly employee meeting that was treated as a round-table to discuss pressing issues and group resolution.
Milisa is a true asset to any company that she chooses to work for and comes very highly recommended. She carries with her a work ethic that I believe has long died out in our society and she genuinely cares about every aspect of her role and gives 110% and beyond. She has demonstrated that her success comes from seeing other people reach their goals and being a helpful instrument in the processes. If you would like to speak with me directly, I have added my contact information.
Sincerely.
Brandie M. Ross
Milisa A. Sammaciccia, MEd. 