Seventy-three highly motivated students convened at the first session of Alpine’s SAT Prep (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and 1,000 Words Challenge early Saturday morning on Sept. 14, at Charlotte Amalie High School. This was the first of four sessions that are taking place during the 2019 Fall Semester leading up to the final official SAT exam of the year on Dec. 7.
Jason Charles from Alpine Securities USVI welcomed the students at the CAHS’s Ruth E. Thomas Auditorium. The event launched this initiative, which was designed to help Virgin Islands high school students boost their SAT scores while developing their knowledge of essential words that are critical to succeed in and beyond college.
District Superintendent Stefan Jurgen also attended to applaud the students for taking such proactive steps to achieve higher SAT scores, which can help open more doors for them. Enrollment recruiters from University of the Virgin Islands, Tiyana Walters and Keisha Ramtahal, also stressed the importance of preparing for college early.
The students were divided into four computer labs, where teachers Thelma Edmeade, Corinne Petty, Mario Turnbull, Deniece Turnbull and Adlyn Williams served as proctors. Even though the students were met with a power outage while taking their first mock exam, they were still encouraged to continue their practice online.
“We’re proud to see that you are excited and motivated for this opportunity,” said Charles to the students. “There will be challenges and setbacks in life, such as this power outage, but you must stay encouraged and keep on persevering to succeed in life.”
The program has been designed so that the students can be coached online through the Khan Academy platform. They will receive weekly assignments to help familiarize themselves with the SAT questions and structure. In addition to weekly prizes, participants will be rewarded with the official College Board SAT book and a graphic calculator upon successful completion of the program at the end of November.
Alpine’s SAT Prep and 1,000 Words Challenge was organized by Alpine Securities USVI LLC, which has been involved with numerous charitable initiatives on the island focused on investing in the youth and bringing the community together, such as the annual King of the Wing contest that raises money for a local nonprofit organization. More information on the program can be found at https://collegeprepvi.org.
