To be honest, I'd never even heard of Parsa before this year (how long has he been at our school? It can't be more than a couple of years, could it?). Sorry about that Parsa! Anyway, it became VERY apparent, VERY quickly this year that Parsa is an outstanding Math student. He's the sort of student who, when you feel like nobody is understanding the lesson, you can't help but look over at to see "does Parsa even know what's going on? Because if he doesn't then we have a BIG problem here".
What makes Parsa's achievement in Math even more impressive is the fact that he is one of the highest achieving Calculus students while also playing on the Senior Boys Basketball Team. It is a bit overwhelming to even consider how many hours the boys put aside for their basketball and, for most players, it can't help but impact their marks at least a little bit. But, somehow, Parsa managed to maintain his very high standing in Calculus. It is a testament to his organization, motivation, and natural Math ability! And the fact that he played on the Senior Boys team speaks to his work ethic (I know this was not something that came "easy" to him like Math seems to).
Parsa is one of my Peer Tutors this year. It has been so impressive to watch him working with my grade 9 students. He has a very gentle and supportive manner with them. He listens carefully, offers help in a simple manner (doesn't complicate things) and is willing to return to the same students (and same questions) time and time again. I know my grade 9 students really appreciate Parsa's contribution to the class (and, needless to say, so do I).
Parsa, I have not know you a long time but I am so very impressed with the sort of student - and person - that you are. I believe that your goal is to be a pharmacist and I can see no reason why you will not be (very!) successful in this pursuit. You do a wonderful job of blending the talents of a scholar, an athlete, and a caring, friendly guy. You are an all-around success!