Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amelia Blaska. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amelia, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I thrive on inspiring and motivating young students—elementary, middle, and high school aged—to realize the power they wield through knowledge, preparation, and having fun. Knowing that each student has unique needs and goals, I have developed and offer tutoring across a broad spectrum of subjects and levels, including on-level, honors and AP/IB courses for English, Spanish, Math, Science, History, Religion, Philosophy, and Psychology. My services include comprehensive tutoring to build students’ overall study, reading, and writing skills, and if a student’s goal is admission into a preparatory school or college, I specialize in standardized test preparation and offer individualized instruction for the GMAS (Milestones), MAP, SSAT, PSAT, SAT and ACT. I also serve as a sounding board for parents and students and assist with school selection, entrance essays, and interview questions. In all of my interactions and endeavors, I seek to honor this important truth: “What we learn with pleasure we never forget.” —Alfred Mercier

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I grew up in Atlanta and had the privilege of graduating from The Westminster Schools and later the University of Notre Dame, where I graduated with a B.A. and Honors in English and a Spanish minor. Throughout my schooling, I never wavered in my desire to teach and work with children and young adults. Upon returning to Atlanta, I spent eight years teaching middle school English and writing at Westminster and Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School. As much as I loved teaching, I grew frustrated by the limitations a classroom setting creates. There simply was not enough time or resources for me to reach each student’s unique needs, goals, and motivations—a necessity to unlock a student’s potential.
I subsequently shifted my focus to law, and earned my paralegal certificate from Emory University. I spent the next several years working as a litigation paralegal in firms specializing in plaintiffs work, corporate defense, family law, and criminal defense. This work further developed my reading, writing, and communication skills, but I realized how much I missed working with young people as time passed. After leaving law and having the privilege of working for two successful entrepreneurs in an administrative capacity, I learned what it would take to start and sustain my own business.

In the fall of 2018, I launched my own tutoring and education service. As my business has grown, so have the areas and disciplines in which I tutor, making me an educational swiss-army knife. My ability to tailor the material and delivery to each student’s needs and goals is what sets me apart from classroom settings and self-study. I usually tutor in-person at my students’ homes, which both parents and students appreciate. However, COVID created the need for me to offer virtual tutoring. This expands my reach to out-of-state students and those during non-traditional hours. I love shifting gears academically and pulling the very best out of my students. As my students enjoy growth and achievement from their hard work, so follows my business.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I began my tutoring enterprise with my 2006 Lexus—with 150,000 plus miles on it— and a tank full of gas! What enabled my success were a plethora of combinations and factors: a lifelong love and passion for learning in all capacities, a passion for working with and empowering all of my students, assistance from my mentor and inspiration, entrepreneur Cliff Oxford, and the support of my family, former colleagues, and close friends, all of whom perpetually champion my endeavors.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One of the toughest obstacles faced along my journey was Covid. Initially, the pandemic adversely affected my business, as my clients felt working together was—and understandably—unsafe. At this juncture, I had to adapt immediately, so I began offering my services virtually, primarily via FaceTime. This was also when I decided to expand my business to the national level, securing clients in the states of Wisconsin and Iowa. Now I will always tutor virtually in addition to in-person, as doing so allows me to tutor at odd and later hours and has allowed my enterprise to grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: Https://facebook.com/AmeliaBlaska
• Instagram: Https://instagram.com/ameliaannetteb
• Facebook: Https://www.facebook.com/groups/262488931143415/?ref=share
• Linkedin: Http://linkedin.com/in/amelia-b-bb8a3420

Image Credits
Amelia Blaska, Max Moore, Sara Tracey, Eleanor Cates, Riley Gunter