EVERETT – Elizabeth Massengale was sitting in the Everett High School counselor’s office when she saw a sign.
It offered help in preparing for the SAT and ACT – the two most common college entrance tests. The five-week class would cost $157.
“And it was being billed as a bargain,” the Everett High School junior said.
It turns out it wasn’t a sign that she should take the class, it was a sign that she should create one.
Massengale, 16, will host her first free meeting for students who are stressed about college entrance tests at 7:15 p.m. Monday at the Everett Public Library.
“I just thought it was so ridiculous,” Massengale said about the costs of college test prep courses. “There are so many free resources out there, in the library and on the Internet, but people just don’t know they’re out there and they don’t get to use them.”
Massengale’s meeting is expected to take the form of a study group, said Barbara Elder, a career counselor at Everett High School who helped the student refine the idea over the past several months.
“She’s an idea person,” Elder said. “For a high-schooler to take an idea to fruition is an awesome thing these days.
“I don’t think she’s even going to be disappointed if there’s one (person there) or 20,” Elder added, noting that the group could provide some help at a stressful time for college-bound students.
“They really want to do well on SAT and ACT,” Elder said. “Any kind of free support that can be gotten, I think would be taken seriously.”
Massengale is a Running Start student who is taking most of her classes at Everett Community College. Advanced-placement biology is the only class she’s taking at Everett High. She has a 3.88 grade-point average and is hoping to attend Scripps College in Southern California.
She started putting the idea together by calling the library and asking for free space to hold the meetings. When the date was set, she made fliers. Not satisfied with putting them up just at Everett High, she sent fliers to Cascade, Jackson and Sequoia high schools, as well.
“It’s a big thing in the real world,” Massengale said. “It’s still kind of an awe-striking thing for me.”
Massengale said the group isn’t part of any school project, and she’s been interested in academics since an early age.
“It will give me a sense of fulfillment, because I get to help people,” she said. “That’s really all I need or want from it.”
Reporter Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
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