OXFORD – Thanks to a generous donation by Christopher and Jennifer Hansen to the Oxford Academy Central School district, 10 students have the chance to participate in a series of SAT preparation courses.
“We’ve always tried to help out by donating money ... but we wanted to make an impact directly on a community we grew up in,” said Jennifer Hansen. “We want to provide access to tools that aren’t necessarily available to students.”
When the Hansens discovered there were no SAT prep courses in the area, they decided to work with the Kaplan program to set up the opportunity. In the first class, the couple is sponsoring 10 students for the $500 admission cost.
“The prep program is really important and can make a tremendous impact on their scores,” said Hansen. “In Oxford there wasn’t even the opportunity.”
Since Oxford Academy is now participating in the program, the school can also take advantage of free seminars for parents and students that will increase their knowledge of the admission process to colleges as well as get good study tips for course finals and AP courses.
“It’s all about college awareness ... and not letting the fact that we’re from a small rural town hold us back or keep students from getting into good schools,” said Janet Laytham, Oxford high school principal. “Right now, we have 10 juniors ... if we continue with the program, we’re going to try to figure out a way to open it to more students.”
Laytham explained she had already received calls from students and parents in other parts of the county who are trying to sign up for the only SAT prep opportunity in the county.
“Once we have this program established, there’s a lot we can do with it,” said Hansen. “There’s a lot of disparity between schools in New York State in terms of opportunities ... we’re trying to help even the playing field.”
The class will finish just before the May SATs.