Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Brenda Juste.
Hi Dr. Juste, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
As a child, I struggled with reading and math because my parents were not able to assist me as they did not speak English or have the skills to help me. I noticed that I was consistently failing in school and it made me feel sad and helpless. But instead of giving up, I decided to take action and reach out to my community and neighbors for help.
I put in a lot of effort, even staying up late to get homework done and receive tutoring. My hard work paid off and after several tutoring sessions for two years, I was able to improve my academic performance and even excel in school, getting placed in gifted classes. This experience is what motivated me to start Meagan’s Academic Tutorial Center and help other students who may be facing similar challenges.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I can not say it’s been neither easy nor particularly hard. What I do know is that I have been focused as to what makes a student interested in learning. The main challenge was, for the most part, to advertise or more specifically being in front of the parents of the children that needed our help. Now, beyond the idea of having won the hearts of the parents to bring the children to the center, the more challenging task was to retain or maintain the trusts and the quality of service that our parents have come to expect. Well, the way we’ve been able to maintain the trust of the parents is to unapologetically and consistently enhance the quality of our service through quality personnel. You see, through our highly-qualified teachers and tutors, our center is able to target the specific weekness of any particular weakness that a student may have. Our tutoring center is not simply a homework assistance lab, it is subject targeted which often requires one on one tutoring. Our teachers and tutors understand their work is an all encompassing academic focus. So, I have learned along the way is to have great staff that love what they do.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am an experienced educator with a diverse background in teaching and leadership roles. I have a bachelor’s degree from Saint Thomas University in Human Services with a minor in Elementary Education, a master’s degree in Exceptional Student Education from the same university, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership with a concentration in reading from Nova Southeastern University.
I have worked as a teacher, reading director, math coach, science coach, reading coach, and curriculum specialist. I have a strong track record of improving students’ reading and math scores. I am known in the community as the reading and math doctor.
I started Meagan’s Academic Tutorial Center to help students succeed academically in subjects such as math, reading, and writing. I believe in the value of tutorial services such as study skills, test preparation, homework assistance, spring camp, summer camp STEM (Science Technology Engineering, and Mathematics), coding, Minecraft, robotics, and one-on-one tutoring.
My passion for teaching and education is also a driving force behind the business. My goals for the business include making a positive impact on the community and achieving a level of growth and expansion for Meagan’s Academic Tutorial Center.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I once heard a mayor from Chicago said “Never let a good crisis go to waste”. For some reason, that stuck in my head. My takeaway from that quote was to always be ready for a change. Covid- 19 was indeed scary and disruptive, to say the least. However, it revolutionized education in many ways. One such disruption was how Virtual Learning just appeared front and center all of sudden. With Virtual Learning, we were able to really understand our worth in that we saw a 200% enrollment increase in a matter of weeks. I am telling you this because a crisis tends to bring opportunities as long you understand where you are and not allow yourself to be blinded by the crisis because of fear. Over the years, I’ve learned almost everything is situational, you just have to have the wherewithal to pick your situation and make it as great as you can possibly make it.
Pricing:
- Weekly Summer Camp $200.00
- Weekly tutoring $150.00
- registration $100.00
- Testing $100.00
Contact Info:
- Website: mactutoringfl.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mactutoring.org/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-brenda-juste-63545a1a5/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k52fbeV6usk
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/meagans-academic-tutorial-center-miami
- Other: https://www.mactutoring.org/
