Congratulations, 2019 Gold Leaf SAT Practice Ambassadors!

This year, over 250 students from over 90 schools/districts participated in our Official SAT Practice Student Ambassador program. These students volunteered to engage with their classmates and communities to spread the word about Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy®.

In March, participating educators nominated their Ambassadors for Gold Leaf status. Twenty-five Ambassadors received this honor for demonstrating a commitment to go above and beyond their Ambassador duties. Seven students were also awarded Gold Leaf with Distinction (denoted with an asterisk below) for making a marked impact on their communities. All nominations reflect the students’ development and application of leadership skills in their role as an Ambassador.

We applaud these 25 students for helping students in their communities take advantage of Official SAT Practice on their paths to college:

• Angel AJ M.
• Ayobami A.
• Bryan R.*
• Chris P.*
• Cira F.
• Ezinne I.*
• Geraldo S.
• Isaiah P.
• Jacob P.
• Jerecho B.
• Jordan Q.
• Joshua N.
• Katelynn P.
• Khadija D.
• Kirmina M.*
• Matthew L.
• Mohammed A.
• Moises D.
• Niah P.*
• Riya P.*
• Roberta M.
• Ryan M.
• Shafaq T.
• Tony T.
• Vivian N.*

*Gold Leaf with Distinction

Here are examples of engagement activities led by the Ambassadors:

• Organizing practice tests and study groups
• Running social media campaigns
• Hosting Official SAT Practice competitions
• Presenting to students, school administrators/staff, parents, and middle schoolers

According to his teacher April Aston, Bryan R., an ambassador from North Garland High School, showed leadership that “promoted early studying and preparation for the SAT and helped students to increase their scores.” Bryan got creative with his approach and offered both SAT Math and SAT English “Crash Study Sessions” on campus, recruiting other seniors to help teach the sessions.

Klein Forest High School in Texas had three Gold Leaf Ambassadors with Distinction selected from their program this year. The Klein Forest Ambassadors are pictured above helping their school counselors organize PSAT/NMSQT scores and offering SAT tutorials at school.

Klein Forest educator Michelle Schiotis spoke about the change she saw in one of these three students. “Beginning as a shy student, Vivian took on leadership roles that allowed her to grow exceptionally. Now, her ability to communicate clearly allows students and parents across the district to understand the importance of preparation for national exams.”

One of the most important goals of the Ambassador program is to empower students to have a voice in clearing a path for other students’ futures. We love to see students become advocates for SAT preparation among not only their peers but also educators. Randi Null from Pearland High School gave us a great example of this. She noted that her Ambassador Riya P. “took full control when a group of over a dozen representatives from Pasadena ISD asked to come observe our campus SAT Prep procedures […]. She gave the teachers, principals, and district officials a small campus tour, showing them SAT prep rooms and the different styles of lessons we go through, introducing them to Khan Academy, and answering questions about how it was used in and out of the classroom. One district representative approached me after to thank me for the time they were able to spend with such a well-spoken and driven young lady.”

We applaud all 25 Gold Leaf Ambassadors for their hard work and dedication to the Official SAT Practice Ambassador program this year, and we thank the educators who nominated these students. Leave a comment below to help us congratulate these students, and let us know if you’d like materials on starting your own Student Ambassador program at your school or district next year.