EFTA02389172.pdf

[Please insert on your letterhead] [Please insert the date here[ US DHS CIS Vermont Service Center 30 Houghton Street St. Albans, VT 05478 Re: Ms. O-IB Application Dear Sir or Madam: I am writing this letter on behalf of Ms. , a communications and public relations professional of extraordinary ability. My name is Michael Harrigan and I am the Deputy Insular Superintendent of Schools for St. Thomas and St. John districts of the US Virgin Islands. As with the rest of the United States, we are trying to promote STEM education in the US Virgin Islands. Ms. through the Enhanced Education, helped create a STEM Competition for our school districts (STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). STEM Fair and is the largest student science fair in the USVI, organized by the Virgin Islands Department of Education, and brought together hundreds of grade school students from across the islands, to showcase their science work for awards. The Foundation supplied more than a hundred Microsoft Surface 2 computers, Touch keyboards and Nylon Sleeves for Microsoft Surface. The foundation also provided funds to host the STEM Fair, and travel and accommodations funds for the winners and chaperones to attend the STEM summer camps. The caliber of the 165 projects at the STEM fair were astounding. One II year old prize winner, showed how to power a calculator with a penny instead of batteries. Other projects included a solar powered speed boat and a juicer made from a garbage door motor and recycled dishwasher parts. The top scorers in each category were given a trophy, a STEM plaque, certificate and an iPad. Categories ranged from science research, demonstrations, math real world problem investigations, math real world models, music technology and software programming. The importance of promoting STEM education is crucial. The United States needs more students studying in the STEM fields. Therefore, STEM Fairs and Camps play a very, very important role for the US education and our future. Nevertheless, there is not much interest in STEM studies from students. We need to change this around the country. We need to make the STEM fields attractive to our youth. For that, we need money and people like Ms. —Ms. through Enhanced Education, played a leading role in setting up the fair, raising the funds and making it happen thanks to her amazing public relations and fundraising capabilities. Ms. raised $86,000 for us through the foundation. $56,000 for 103 Microsoft Surface 2 computers, $20,000 for the expenses for hosting the STEM Fair, and $10,000 for the travel and accommodations expenses for the winners and chaperones to attend the US Engineering and Science Festival in Washington, DC on April 26 and 27. $86,000 may sound like a small amount for some, but, for our students, it made a EFTA_R1_01412904 EFTA02389172 huge difference and impact. Attracting interest in the STEM fields is a challenge and Ms. overcame that challenge with ease and grace. Raising money for such endeavors is harder and Ms. helped us raise more than enough to organize a world class event. Without the role she played for us with Enhanced Education, we simply couldn't have achieved what we achieved. Moreover, she really cares for our children and their future success. We are looking forward to working with her in our future fairs and camps. Therefore I wholeheartedly recommend her O-1B visa application. We need professionals like Ms. with extraordinary skills and abilities. We need it for our children, we need it for our future. Sincerely yours, Michael Harrigan EFTA_R1_014 12905 EFTA02389173