All about you

Scholarship deadlines are quickly approaching, and many scholarship applications require a reference from your senior math or science teacher.

Of course, I like writing these letters! The only problem is . . . time and aging.

Time, because I need a one-week lead time to write a worthwhile letter for you. My challenge is to capture the essence of you-as-a-citizen, or you-as-a-scholar, using words and phrases that haven't been read hundreds of times before by the scholarship committees. Your reference letter should contain specific examples of the qualities the committee thinks are important, and should be concise yet coherent.

A long-winded rant saying that "Jane is the best student I've ever had" won't receive serious consideration. On the other hand, "Jane was the only student in our high school's history to simultaneously score 100% in all of her classes, receive perfect scores on the ACT and SAT, and win the state lutefisk-baking championship" carries much more weight.

Aging . . . okay, y'all know how forgetful I am. Just keep after me about getting the task done; really, I don't mind nagging reminders!

Be safe out there, and take care of yourself.