A PERFECT DAY
Andrew’s Day forgets calculator but ends up acing math SATs
For Andrew junior Jack Day, the day actually did not get started on a perfect note.
A bowler and baseball player who is advanced in math, Day headed to Shepard on Oct. 14 to take the SAT.
As a student at Central Middle School in Tinley Park, Day was already taking high school math classes through Andrew teachers Julia Karczewski and Steve Schoen. He completed AP calculus his sophomore year.
He had the potential to do well on the math portion of the SAT.
But once he got to the Palos Heights school, Day realized something important.
“I did not have my calculator,” he said.
Day was fortunate enough to discover a student next to him who had a second calculator.
Day didn’t know who the person was because there were students from various high schools taking the test.
What he does know is the borrowed calculator ended up being invaluable.
So, Day took the test, and a few weeks later, he found out that he scored a perfect 800 on the math portion.
“I definitely needed a calculator on a problem or two,” he said. “Without it, I would have never gotten a perfect score.”
PrepScholar.com reports that anyone who scores a 780-800 is in the 98-99 percentile. In recent years, between 2 and 3 million students have taken the test, according to multiple sources.
“It just happened — I tried not to think about it,” Day said of the perfect score. “I felt really well prepared going into it.
“I didn’t count it out as impossible, but it was not something I was thinking about. I was just thinking about taking the test.”
While being impressive in the classroom, Day also is ready to help out a couple teams for Andrew starting this month.
Day carried a bowling average in the 160s last season on the junior varsity, and coach Mark Lobes is anxious to welcome him this season to the varsity.
Lobes said Day increased his strength, leadership and team motivation during the first two years.
“Jack is a mature individual whose poise and guidance is great for the team,” Lobes said. “I look forward to having him on the team this year.
“Coach Schoen really enjoyed having Jack at the JV level and kept telling me how I should be ready for his abilities at the varsity level.”
Day, who said he did not bowl until his freshman year, has been making big strides on the lanes. But he’s already an accomplished baseball player.
The shortstop/second baseman earned a spot on coach Dave De Haan’s varsity roster as a sophomore in the spring, but the season was wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Baseball has been my passion — I’ve played travel ball since I was 9,” Day said. “Last year, I made varsity, but the coronavirus had other ideas.
“The juniors and seniors on the team helped me grow as a player and as a leader during that short opportunity.”
Even though he’s acing national math tests and playing two sports, Day still has enough time to volunteer on the Varsity Athletic Leadership team.
One of the activities the group engaged in before the pandemic was going to various area grade schools and reading books to children.
“It’s my favorite part of the leadership team because you can give back to the community,” Day said. “Most students at Andrew came thorough District 140 so it’s nice to go back.
“Once you get where you are going it’s good to turn back and help those behind you.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.