To Whom it May Concern: I have been a dedicated volunteer and am now Chief Operating Officer of American Eskimo Rescue of St. Louis. Our mission is to rescue American Eskimo dogs in life-threatening situations and place them in loving homes. Our program is funded by donations and adoption fees and the only way to make all of this possible is through our committed and loving volunteers, which is where Tricia comes in. I couldn’t have been more impressed with Tricia from the moment I met her. She approached another volunteer at one of our weekly adoption events, typically held at a local PetSmart, and asked if there was a way for her to volunteer her time to help these sweet dogs. It is not often that we have young people approaching us to volunteer their time, knowing they would not be compensated for their work, but she was interested and willing to learn. Tricia and I were quickly introduced and from then on, I had the privilege of working with her on a weekly basis at our adoption events, holiday functions, and other community pet events. Our weekly adoption events were held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and Tricia arrived early each time to take the dogs on walks and ensure that they were well-prepped for the surge of people they would be meeting that day. She was always extremely positive and it was evident that she cared tremendously for the animals. Whether her days were spent cuddling with the dogs or cleaning up after their mess, Tricia never complained about anything. This is a feat for anyone because these dogs were not always on their best behavior—sadly some came from abusive or neglectful homes, maybe they spent their life on the street or were rescued from puppy mills. No matter their past, Tricia was willing to work with them all and learn ways to interact with them in a safe and helpful manner. She spoke to prospective families about each dog; remembering their ages and past stories, their likes and dislikes, describing their favorite activity and even telling them why she loved them so much. For a 16-year-old, I could not have been more impressed. She spoke with confidence, passion and realness. She liked being there each weekend with our group, and the dogs and everyone could tell that she truly wanted to be there. Tricia is a natural leader who loves to learn and she surrounds herself with people of similar values. We were fortunate enough to meet some of her classmates as they joined her on volunteering during the Holidays. Her dedication to community service is admirable and I can say with confidence that Tricia is one of the most caring and driven young ladies I have ever worked with. Thanks to Tricia’s time and effort, as well as all of our volunteers, in helping these animals, we have been able to place hundreds of dogs over the last two years and we look forward to rescuing hundreds more. We will certainly miss Tricia at our events, but are very excited for her to experience college! It does not surprise me that she wants to spend her free time caring for other's pets now that she is away from her own. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.