Today we’d like to introduce you to Alisa Semiens.
Alisa, before we jump into specific questions about the company, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My story began in Houston, TX. Growing up, education was a huge part of my childhood. I remember my mom taking my brother and me to the library over the summers and I remember how my parents pushed us to excel academically. And so that love of education never left me. The importance of education was embedded and instilled in me from a very young age. My dad always said, “Listen and you’ll learn”. And so, I listened to my teachers in elementary, middle, and high school and earned a scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin.
After graduating, with a Bachelor in Journalism. I met failure at the door because I couldn’t get a job in my field and so I started working as a substitute teacher and I also tutored on the side. That same year, I took a job as a PSI teacher assistant and fell in love with education. I loved working with my students and building relationships with them. I also launched A&S Tutoring, a tutoring service that specialized in all subjects K-8. However, my tutoring service didn’t last because I couldn’t find clients.
The next year, I would become a graduate student at Relay Graduate School of Education. In 2019, I graduated with a Master’s in Education and officially completed my second year of teaching. Fast forward to the next year, we couldn’t have foreseen that the entire world would be brought to an abrupt halt by COVID-19.
As a teacher, I saw the devastating impact COVID-19 had on teachers, families, and students and I wanted to help. I saw that parents were really struggling with helping their kids academically and I wanted to be a resource. I know it has been tremendously tough on parents, especially with balancing home life and academic life for their children, and so I wanted to offer tutoring services and homework support to ease the tough times. I also saw a need for aspiring teachers who wanted to pass their TExES ELAR 4-8 content test, and so I also began offering test prep for people who were trying to pass their test. From my desire to help others, Ivy League Ready Tutoring was born. Ivy League Ready Tutoring is an online tutoring company that helps students excel academically in reading and writing. We also offer test prep services for the SAT, ACT, and the TExES ELAR 4-8 test. At the very beginning of starting my tutoring company, I offered free tutoring service and I didn’t get a huge response. And so, I decided to host a virtual summer reading and writing camp for students and I was successful. I also began hosting free study groups for the TExES ELAR 4-8 content test and my business began to really gain traction.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not always been a smooth road. In 2015, I owned A&S Tutoring and I just couldn’t find customers. It was tough and many times discouraging. However, in 2020, I was able to rebrand my business to Ivy League Ready Tutoring and I just remained consistent. It was very important for me to have a growth mindset and to continue to be flexible in my journey. For example, at the beginning of launching Ivy League Ready Tutoring, my target audience was K-12 reading and writing students. However, I found that there was a great need for people trying to pass their TExES ELAR 4-8 test and I knew that was a service that I could also offer, so I made a pivot and it has made all the difference in my business. I know many times we expect our ideas to go viral and just take off, but sometimes it’s a gradual release and I’ve learned to be okay with that and make adjustments along the way.
Tell us about your company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
Ivy League Ready Tutoring is an online virtual tutoring company. We specialize in helping students excel in reading and writing. We also help our students pass the TExES ELAR 4-8 test. Even though the company began helping students in reading and writing, I believe we are becoming a driving force in test prep, specifically with the ELAR 4-8 exam. I am most proud of our growth as a tutoring company in a short amount of time that we have launched. We are continually growing, thriving, and building a solid reputation for ourselves. Ivy League Ready Tutoring is a one of a kind because we not only help K-12 students succeed, we are also assisting adults in passing a very rigorous exam as well.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Because my business is primarily online, I feel like any place would be a great place for my business. However, I love that I am located in Houston because my reach is greater. Houston is filled with millions of people, and with the devastation of COVID, I think this is the perfect place to help people and show them what is possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: ivyleaguereadytutoring.com
- Phone: 8326543892
- Email: ivyleagueready@yahoo.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/ivyleaguereadytutoring/
- Facebook: @Ivyleagueready
Image Credit:
Photographer: Shawna Semiens
Photographer: Charkenna Whitlow
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