By Risa Askerooth

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As part of a goal to provide greater college opportunities for athletes, MHS is marking its fourth year hosting SAT prep classes for the football team at the price of $30. The course was taught by Instructor Raymond Karelitz on Sept. 14 and 15 and covered the reading, writing and math sections of the SAT.

“The game plan is they will take the class then they try to take the next SAT or PSAT that’s right after, so that they can carry over what they learned into the next test. And that’s so that we can get them into the next level,” said Gaile Nitta, who coordinated the class.

The leftover fees collected benefit the MHS athletic department, which helps the athletes who can’t afford the class. The prep class will be two and a half hours per day and covers time-management, elimination strategies and tips for not getting stuck on certain problems. “I consider myself the SAT coach so I do the best I can but I know that it’s their responsibility to take the ball and run with it. So that’s their job to get the good score and if they get the good score that’s their gain, that’s their satisfaction,” said Karelitz, who founded his business teaching prep classes in 1985.

The hope is that football players will be able to improve their scores substantially after taking it, as with any other prep course. “I did pretty good on it (when I last took it) but anything helps so I can raise that so I can get into college,” said Defensive Tackle Senior Johnathan Harling-Gray, who has been on the team for three years, “I hope on getting into University of California San Diego or Georgetown University.”

If more football players apply for this course in the future, MHS may consider extending the course to twice a year rather than once, with one in the winter and another in the spring.