Thank you Sylvan

"Dear Mr. Joe Weldon:

I’m so glad that I went to Sylvan. When I was younger, I didn’t have much motivation towards school. In classes, I didn’t pay much attention and I was always having problems with mathematics. This continues, even when I was required to take after-school tutoring and eventually Kumon. Nothing worked, it seemed. I lacked in confidence, lacked in the desire to achieve anything than the bare minimum in school work. I became the first one in my class to flunk mathematics. I was doing so bad. Then, somehow, my parents found out about Sylvan.

At first, I wasn’t too keen on going. If it was just going to be another Kumon, then there wasn’t any point. Kumon had been a waste of money. They hadn’t helped me, as they said they would have – and they didn’t improve my attitude. Their idea of helping a child was to give her or him classwork and homework. They didn’t help in most of everything, and expected me to have it all completed without asking for questions. I lacked in understanding the basics of most things. At the time, I didn’t even know how to do the problems they’d give me.

But Sylvan turned out to be different than I’d expected. Rather than just being a place to work, it was a place to grow. At Sylvan I made friends, and I learned lessons that would help me in both life and school. The difference between Sylvan and Kumon was that Sylvan became my “ohana” – or, family. And, that’s something that will never change – even as I’m older now. I believe that because of Sylvan’s support, I am now different. Although I used to be so terrible at mathematics, I was able to become a part of the mathematics honors program at Sacred Hearts Academy. My GPA, though normally low before, now ranges between 3.86 and 4.00. I have changed, and I’m so thankful towards Sylvan. I don’t think anything can take away the valuable memories I’ve made there."

- Anonymous - Class of 2011