Academic Advantage's roots can be traced back to the high school chemistry class where Sonya Fleck, a first-year teacher was committed to students' academic success. After noticing a disparity between the performance of her students in class and their test scores, she became interested in the ACT. Sonya, a scientist by heart and researcher, spent the following year researching ways to fix that problem. She made sure students mastered the standards and had the necessary skills for the ACT. She collaborated with faculty members at the school in her research to create the first ACT Summer Class.