THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 6, 1996 TAG: 9610040229
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 24 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BARBARA WOERNER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 88 lines
IN A COUPLE OF ROOMS at the end of hall 200 in Kempsville High School, students gather during the evening hours four times a week and on Saturdays to work on what appears to be - EXTRA HOMEWORK.
The quiet activity within the two rooms stands in stark contrast to the swirl of other after-hour school activities like the energetic practice of both the band and athletic teams.
Here, students quickly take a seat and there is an absence of conversation. It's not an after-hours detention center; it is the Monday-through-Thursday and three-hours-on-Saturday SAT workshop session offered by Making A Difference, a local nonprofit that offers inexpensive tutoring and other kinds of academic help and preparation to area students. The cost for the SAT workshops is a $50 tax deductible donation.
The foundation was started six years ago by volunteer Bob Bobulinski and has helped more than 2,000 area students get into college. MAD, as it's called, was recently awarded a $20,000 state School-to-Work grant. The search for funding for continuation and even expansion of the program is constantly in the forefront. However, Bobulinski, who lives in Virgiia Beach and is the Family Resource Center administrator for Pasquotank Country Partnership for Children, and Mike Mitchell, MAD treasurer and one of the session tutors, would rather talk to and about the students that occupy the desks quietly working out math problems like the ones they will encounter when they take the real Scholastic Assessment Test.
``You got this one right and this is the hardest part,'' said Mitchell quietly to session participant Roger Carpenter who wants to go to the University of North Carolina on a baseball scholarship. Carpenter's face reflected the intense concentration of the moment on his part before going back to his calculator and refiguring the math problem.
``We spend time getting many of these students to believe that they can do this - that they can reach a level of success with their SATs,'' said Mitchell, who works for a defense contractor during the day. ``The first step in doing better is telling them to quit telling themselves that this is too hard.
``We are here to help them build their confidence and to practice and prepare for their SATs,'' he added.
Damion McGhee, receiver and defensive back for the Tallwood Lions football team, dreams of a full scholarship to the college of his choice. Anchoring his dream, is the reality of the long days he currently puts in to prepare for the not-so-distant date in February when scholarships are awarded.
``I come from practice to here and then I go home and do my homework,'' said McGhee. ``My math score was kind of low and I'm here to bring up my scores.''
Tallwood quarterback Gilbert Harris knows that several top-ranked universities are looking in his direction. That is enough of an incentive for him to consistently attend MAD's SAT workshop and spend several hours a week going over the practice math problems.
``I'm trying to qualify for NCAA standards right now and I've got to achieve a certain test score,'' he said. ``All this will pay off hopefully on Feb. 12 - scholarship signing day.''
Not all workshop participants are school athletes contending for scholarships. Archie Nelson is a Tallwood freshman that just started attending the sessions.
``I'm here to get ready for the test so when I take it I will be prepared,'' he said. ``I want to score as high as I can so I can be accepted by a top-notch college.
``I've always heard practice makes perfect and that's why I'm signing up now,'' he added.
As a freshman, he said that he does not yet feel pressured by the thought of taking the SAT and college selection. That is not the case for Ailleen Fernandez, a Tallwood senior hoping to be accepted by either Old Dominion University or Virginia Tech.
``I'm here to better my scores when I take the test in October,'' she said quietly. ``I'm getting more used to the test with all this practice, but I do feel pressured about the overall outcome.''
As students filed out at the close of the evening session, Mitchell prepared to go home after another long day.
``I get a real sense of satisfaction helping these kids succeed,'' he said. ``We've had a number of kids that have been told they aren't bright enough to succeed and we believe that every one deserves a chance.''
Mitchell added, ``There's a lot of satisfaction in knowing you're helping the community at large.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by BARBARA WOERNER
Mike Mitchell, left, tutors Jen Cooper, Jeff Perez and Roger
Carpenter, seated, during the Making a Difference SAT workshop at
Kemspville High.
KEYWORDS: SAT by CNB