Perfection.
For Will Reinagel and Cooper Matherne, that was the goal, and it was the destination.
Reinagel, a Destrehan High School junior, and Matherne, a Hahnville High School junior, each nailed down a perfect score of 36 on the ACT – a feat that will certainly garner them strong attention at the collegiate level.
Less than a quarter of a percent of the approximately 1.4 million students who take the test annually achieve the perfect score – while St. Charles Parish has seen a few students in recent years hit the perfect mark, to have two in a year is an extreme and exceptional rarity.
But one thing these two share in common, besides the perfect score, is that it came by no accident: both students say they took aim at the goal and put in the work to make it a reality.
Reinagel had scores of 33 and 34 in previous years, taking the test as a freshman and a sophomore.
“I was specifically aiming for a 36. I was actually on edge for two or three weeks while I was waiting to hear the score, not knowing if I’d get it or just miss it,” said Reinagel, who said he felt good about his effort upon completing the test. “I kind of felt relieved when I saw the score – and very happy the hard work paid off.”
He said he took on a few practice tests to ramp himself up for it and to address any potential shortcomings. He also credited his gifted course teachers for preparing him well for the test, calling them “a big help.”
“Working on skills I needed to work on. The science section, I felt I was overall pretty good at it but lacking in some specifics, so I studied that specifically,” Reinagel said.
Reinagel has an eye on studying computer engineering at the next level, though he says it isn’t set in stone.
“I’ve always had an interest in computers – math related stuff, overall, which is my favorite subject,” Reinagel said. “That’s what I feel I excel at the most.”
He’s a member of the Destrehan band as its low brass section leader. He is also a member of honor choir, mathletes and the National Honor Society, as well as an Eagle Scout.
Like Reinagel, Matherne said his nerves were a bit on edge as he received the email that would relay his score.
“36 was one of my goals for the year,” Matherne said.
He clicked to read the message and it was certainly to his liking.
“There was a lot of shock and excitement (from his family),” said Matherne. “I called some of my friends as well, they all kind of got the story at the same time. Everyone was thrilled, which felt good.”
Matherne had posted strong scores in his previous ACT efforts in prior years as well, so he knew the path to a quality effort in this regard. Bridging the gap between a very strong score and the perfect score was where he set his mind to leading up to testing day.
“One thing I really worked on was precision – making sure I was very careful, no careless mistakes,” Matherne said. “In the 30s, the difference between a 33 or 34 and a 36 is being precise and staying 100 percent focused, and I planned to maintain that focus for the entire time.”
The biggest challenge toward doing that, Matherne said, is that in many ways the ACT tests mental endurance as much as knowledge. 
“It’s a very exhausting test,” he said. “The timing is very strict. For example, in English you have 75 questions in 45 minutes. The more practice tests you take, the better off you are because that builds the endurance.”
He said his English teacher had students work on a digital reading practice test about a week prior that really helped his cause.
“It got me acclimated again to the timing and pacing of the test … that made me more comfortable,” Matherne said.
Matherne has been named Student of the Year twice – once at Lakewood Elementary and once at J.B. Martin Middle School. He is a two-year member of the district honor band and is the assistant captain of the drumline with the Tiger band. He serves as deputy core commander for ROTC and as secretary of Interact. He is also a member of the National Honor Society.
He hasn’t settled on a field of study yet, but one thing he knows he wants to do once he’s off to the college level is to join his prospective school’s marching band.
“I know I want to continue playing music, not necessarily as a career, but it’s something I’m passionate about,” Matherne said.
As for advice for fellow students who will be taking the ACT in the future, Matherne echoed that those practice tests are critical.
“Practice, practice, practice,” he said. “The timing is what gets you. Getting a strong feel for that goes a long way.”
Reinagel, meanwhile, advised staying even keeled through the course of the test and throughout preparation for it.
“Don’t get frustrated,” Reinagel said. “Try to find where you specifically know you can improve and focus on that more. Set smaller goals for yourself throughout the whole process.”
