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Date: 3/16/2023
WEST SPRINGFIELD — Like many West Springfield High School (WSHS) students, Victoria Sergeychik struggled when the school adopted remote learning during the coronavirus pandemic. She studied hard and continued to focus on learning, but she never expected to be rewarded for her academic performance.
When results from the 2022 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam came back, it showed Sergeychik did better – much better – than she ever expected. So good that she recently was honored with a student achievement award from the state Department of Secondary and Elementary Education for “exceptional performance.”
Sergeychik was honored for achieving the highest of four MCAS levels of achievement, “exceeding expectations,” on the annual exam.
“It almost feels surreal to me. I’ve always been just trying to get by in school. I’m not really trying to take steps to be the best student there is,” said the 17-year-old.
“I’m trying to be good, but I wasn’t expecting to get an award when I wasn’t actively pushing myself to go above and beyond. I just applied my knowledge,” she added.
According to Jeffrey Riley, the state’s commissioner of elementary and secondary education, Sergeychik’s level of achievement put her among the top students in Massachusetts. Her test results also put her among the top students at WSHS for MCAS achievement.
WSHS Principal Patrick Danby said only 9 percent of students earn “exceeding expectations” for English language arts (ELA), and 11 percent for math, according to the state’s 2022 accountability data.
A pilot program, the award is designed to recognize high-achieving, high-needs students - students with disabilities, English learners, and low-income students – who achieved the highest level in English, math or both in any grade level on the 2022 MCAS.
Sergeychik said she was unaware of the award until she was called to meet with Danby, who surprised her with a certificate, flowers, and a $20 Target gift card from DESE. Sergeychik said later she was a “little overwhelmed but very happy” to receive the award.
Sergeychik said the award confirms what her teachers have been telling her for many years.
“I feel smart right now. My teachers do tell me I’m smart, but I don’t think I necessarily always felt as smart as my teachers told me I was. This makes me feel a lot better – and more appreciated – because it means I’m a lot smarter than I think I am.”
In his letter to Sergeychik, Riley wrote that “achieving such impressive results isn’t easy, particularly given the recent challenges of the [coronavirus] pandemic. It takes hard work, discipline, and focus in school and out. I very much appreciate your efforts and encourage you to keep them up in the year ahead.”
Added Rebecca Bard, Sergeychik’s WSHS counselor, “Victoria is an upstanding member of our school community and a positive peer role model for other students.”
Sergeychik believes her love for reading and writing helped her do well on the English portion of the MCAS.
“I feel like I can understand literary texts quite well. I learn really well when I’m interested in something. English stories are something I’m very interested in – which helps me learn more.”
As for the math portion, Sergeychik is less clear how she achieved her high scores.
“I can’t say I studied for math. But I like to follow formulas, and math is certainly something where there’s a formula and there’s a there’s a process to that.”
There’s also a process in graphic design, which Sergeychik is studying at the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative’s Career Technical Education Center (CTEC) on Brush Hill Road in West Springfield. In the second year of a three-year graphics and visual communication program, she attends half-days at CTEC every morning before going to WSHS for her academic classes.
Art has been a passion for Sergeychik ever since she was very young. She was inspired by her older sister, who also suggested the CTEC program. Sergeychik is one of the program’s top illustrators and also excels at using Photoshop.
She said her grade-point average at WSHS is low because of struggles in the past, but she’s brought her CTEC grade-point average up from 3.6 to 3.93.
Attending CTEC initially prevented Sergeychik from playing in the WSHS Band, because of scheduling conflicts. But this year, the band director made it possible for her to attend CTEC and still be in the band so she can play the trombone.
“I just love being in band. I stay after school and go to all the band events. I go to all the practices I can, and I feel like I’m on the same level as my peers. I’m really happy. I’m glad to be back in the band again this year,” she said. “I’ve always loved playing instruments, even when I was little.”
The goal of the DESE award program is to reward students and also help families support the student’s continued high achievement. Riley called family members “a student’s first cheerleader for academic support” – from helping them get to school on time to ensuring they get a good night’s sleep.
Sergeychik, who comes from a single-parent household with two sisters, credits her mother for helping her to stay in school and to succeed in her learning.
“My mom helps keep a roof over my head, so I don’t need to worry while I’m going through school. We’ve had a bit of hardships, moving from place to place, but she’s always made sure I got to stay in this school — which I really wanted to do. And she’s made a lot of sacrifices for me. I really appreciate what she’s doing for me.