We recently connected with Gina Korczak Maygan O’Donnell and have shared our conversation below.

Thank you for taking the time to share your stories with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Uniquely You Learning Center (UYLC) is a private educational center dedicated to empowering elementary-aged children with special needs and developmental delays. Our mission is to help each child thrive by offering personalized instruction and support that focuses on academic, social, emotional, and behavioral growth. We provide a nurturing, inclusive environment that celebrates every child’s uniqueness. As our students continue to grow older, our vision is to grow with them. Our long-term goal is to build a life skills lab where students can learn and experience essential skills to help them become as independent as possible.

Our journey began as two moms—both raising children on the autism spectrum—who experienced firsthand the need for something different. (Maygan has numerous years experience in business and Gina has over 20 years in education). We saw the gaps in traditional education and wanted to create a space where children were not only accepted but celebrated. From that vision, Uniquely You Learning Center was born. We also knew we wanted to offer a holistic approach—not just academics, but the whole child. That’s why we include daily specials like communication and language support, sensory enrichment, physical fitness, social-emotional learning, mindfulness, and music therapy. These experiences support growth in every area of life.

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

Launching UYLC while managing our own personal parenting journeys wasn’t easy. It has pushed us to grow in every way. Balancing our roles as mothers, educators, and business owners has tested us, stretched us, and challenged us to dig deeper than we thought possible. Through every challenge, we have stayed grounded in our mission because this work is personal. This isn’t just a program we created; it’s a space we built for our own children. We treat all the children who walk through our doors as if they were our own.

Our motto has always been: “We will figure it out. We always do.” We live by that. No obstacle has ever shaken our commitment or made us question our purpose. Instead, each one has sharpened our focus and reinforced why we started UYLC in the first place. We will never fail—not because we’re perfect, but because failure is not an option when it comes to our children. We show up every day with grit, grace, and an unwavering belief that every child deserves the very best.

Our hearts are in this work and that is what makes UYLC more than just a learning center. It’s a community. It’s a calling. It is a promise we make to every family who joins us: we will figure it out. Together. Always.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson we had to unlearn in our first full year of operating UYLC was the idea that we had to be everything for everyone. When you pour your heart into something so personal—something you built for your own children—it’s easy to want to meet every family’s expectations and to try to be the perfect fit for every single student. We have learned that doing what is right for kids doesn’t mean trying to be all things to all people. It means staying true to our mission.

Over this past year, we have grown so much as founders and as a program. We have surrounded ourselves with people who believe in what we are doing. Our providers, our community, and our parents have shown up for us again and again, and their belief in our vision fuels us to keep building the very best version of UYLC for our students.

We have also come to understand and embrace that we are not the right fit for every family, and that is completely okay! We are the option for families who are looking for a holistic approach, who want to celebrate their children’s strengths, and who view their kids as gifts. We are the space where students feel safe and deeply loved. That is the foundation of everything we do.

Letting go of the need to be “for everyone” freed us to focus on being exactly right for the families and children who need what we offer most. And just like we always say: We will figure it out. We always do. Staying grounded in that mindset and in our mission has allowed us to grow with clarity, purpose, and heart.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://uniquelyyoulearningcenter.org
• Instagram: @uniquelyyoulearningcenter
• Facebook: @uniquelyyoulearningcenter
• Linkedin: Uniquely You Learning Center
• Yelp: Uniquely You Learning Center

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