The Minority Scholars Program (MSP) is an honor society for minority students to participate in tutoring, workshops, retreats, and community building. This year, MSP has expanded even further by providing opportunities for students to learn through tutoring at Stedwick Elementary, Neelsville Middle, Montgomery Village Middle, and as usual, Watkins Mill High.

“The whole reason [behind] minority scholars is to close the achievement gap between Latino and African American students and their counterparts,” sponsor for MSP Sandy Young said. Young also provided this as the reason for MSP tutoring. “We send these kids to these schools as role models and inspiration that these kids, when they get to high school, won’t buy into the narrative that they are not smart enough, not good enough. That they are supposed to fail.” continued Young. “We have about 60 members and about half of them are on the tutoring committee.”

MSP tutoring takes place here at Watkins Mill and at another school. Tutoring at Watkins Mill is usually for 9th-grade students and usually, takes place at STEP. Students can be tutored in most subjects. Young said, “the tutor’s tutor whenever they can. They only day there is no tutoring is Friday. When tutoring happens it is up to the student and the tutor to decide.”

MSP tutoring at Stedwick Elementary takes place right after school. MSP tutors get out of school and go directly to the elementary school to help out teachers. Victoria Joya, the student body president of MSP, said, “The elementary school has [MSP students] go in during the instructional time…they will be like teacher aids and they help the students who need help on [things].” Tutoring at Neelsville Middle and Montgomery Village Middle takes place after school with MSP students tutoring outside of classes.

Jason Herrera was a member of MSP last year and this year. Last year Herrera participated in tutoring and said, “I think [tutoring last year] was great. We really reached a lot of new communities and really young children that if no one stepped in, wouldn’t have a role model.

A lot of the students looking for tutoring are coming from low-income families where their parents may work two jobs and they may get to see them for two hours a day. [MSP coming in and tutoring] shows them that there is a future for them.” MSP tutoring not only provides opportunities for students to get help with their work it also provides students with role models and something to strive to be.