Sylvan Learning was founded in 1979 in Portland, Oregon to provide supplemental instruction in reading, writing, math and study skills. The Sarnia location began in 1984 and has been located at the same address all these years, 1000 Finch Drive. Susan Mitchell was hired as the Director of Education in 1993, and was given the opportunity to purchase the business in 1995. "When the original owners decided to retire, I was able to buy the business from them. Sylvan has been a big part of my life ever since, and teaching has always been a passion. I look forward to coming to work every day," explains Mitchell.
Mitchell graduated from university with a Bachelor of Education and began looking for a teaching opportunity. "In the meantime, my husband and I found out that we were having twin boys, which changed the path of our journey for a while. Back in the early 80's, teaching jobs were scarce in the area. However, I was still able to get 'my fix' of working with the kids through supply teaching." Eventually, she returned to university to secure some additional qualifications. "Then the Sylvan opportunity presented itself, and I am so glad that it did! My staff and I are dedicated to our students, and want them to be the best they can be, enriching their lives with increased confidence and stronger skills."
As with any business, Sylvan is all about building relationships. "I meet with all of the clients, from the initial assessment, to the enrollment conference and ongoing conferences. We have clients from across Lambton County. In fact, we even have a family who has travelled weekly from Chatham for the last four years!" Mitchell's customer service has not gone unnoticed. She was nominated for a Chamber of Commerce Customer Service award in recent years. For fourteen years, Mitchell had a centre in Chatham, and another location in Petrolia for a year and a half. "After many years of travel, I decided to focus on this market. We have a very convenient location and a great staff. I've been with Sylvan for twenty-five years and I have been blessed with dedicated teachers." The staff are all qualified teachers, with biographies on the website: www.sylvanlearning.com. Sylvan is open Monday through Saturday.
Sylvan Learning offers personalized programs for primary and secondary school students. "We also offer support for some higher level math and science through homework support. We work with these students a couple of times a week to review skills from school and reinforce understanding, so that they are ready for that final exam," explains Mitchell. The emphasis of the core programs (reading, writing and math) is on long-term results β building confidence and strengthening skills, so that the student is able to work with greater independence and has the skills to figure things out. In this age of technology, the goal of Sylvan is becoming even more important. "Every day we are working to help students, 'Catch Up. Keep Up. Get Ahead!'"
To say the Toronto Raptors winning an NBA championship in 2019 has had a great influence on the sport of basketball in Canada is an understatement. It was huge, says Joe Rocca, who along with his brother Mike, runs the Rocca Elite Basketball Academy (REBA) in Sarnia, Ont. I have seen an inc
Crystal Tilson loved her job at Crock A Doodle so much that she bought the franchise. "I have been here for five years and I purchased the franchise three years ago," Crystal says. "I have always been an entrepreneur and I absolutely love this business. It's a fun business environment and a gr
The kindness of others rubbed off on Katelyn Clarke and Brittany Pask. Now the sisters and other family members are helping cancer patients through their organization called That Girl's Got Moxie. "We started this organization after we lost my sister to breast cancer at age 34," Katelyn says.
The last thing in the world Cathy McRae wants or needs is a pat on the back. That's because when your many random acts of kindness and helpfulness come as naturally as they do to Cathy, no thanks is necessary. I always want to share and help with those who could use a little bit of extra help,
Chelsea Cooper and Tyler Casselman already knew each other through their interactions practicing law in Sarnia before they decided to join forces. "We are both solicitors who specialize in real estate, corporate and commercial law...
If you'll excuse the pun, the success of Greg's Auto Detailing is in, well, the details. Detailing a vehicle takes a lot of time, says owner Greg Honke, 47. A lot of people think detailing is an hour or two and you are out the door. But if you take pride in what you do and you want to d
As passionate as Alisha Buchanan is about treating her clients at Treat Yourself Wellness Centre, she is the first to admit her career as a biofeedback specialist got off to something of a slow start. Treat Yourself Wellness Centre was actually started in 1995 by her grandmother, Hilda Van Wyk, and
When Bill Lamarche was the sporting goods and seasonal manager at a large retailer in London, he began dreaming about opening his own business. βAt first I thought about opening a sporting goods store, but then I realized the hard...