Today we’d like to introduce you to David Samuel.
David, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Before I became a Kumon instructor and franchise owner, I taught special education for ten years. Teaching students with autism and other learning disabilities proved rewarding as well as challenging. In 2011, my aunt, Zenith, was planning to retire and asked me if I would be interested in buying her Kumon center and taking over the business. She had opened the center in Westchester in 1992 and had touched the lives of countless local students over the years.
Since I took over the reins, my goal has always been to build on Zenith’s foundation of success. As of today, I have enrolled over 1,700 students and have maintained a 100% success rate with students who are committed to Kumon’s unique methodology.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest obstacles some families face with Kumon is managing the daily rigors of the program. The families who achieve the highest levels of success with the program are the ones who have figured out a good routine at home which allow the student to keep up with their Kumon assignments. Part of my job is to nurture and coach parents along the way, which can be challenging, depending on their mindsets, parenting styles, family dynamics, etc.
Westchester Kumon Math and Reading Center – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The Kumon after-school academic enrichment program has been helping children achieve success worldwide for the past 60 years. Our Kumon Center strives for the same success, motivating all of our students to perform at their highest potential.
Unlike typical math tutoring or reading tutoring programs, Kumon instills in students the skills and mindset necessary to learn new materials independently, without being taught.
I am proud of the student diversity within our learning center. We have students from Playa Vista to Inglewood, from age three to eighteen. Since students of color have been historically underrepresented in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) college majors and careers, I feel it is promising that 54% of our current students are African American and 14% are Hispanic. Westchester Kumon has opened doors and given many of our student’s opportunities for admission and scholarships to top universities.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment was seeing my daughter, Brooklyn, who began the program at age three, achieve the highest Kumon Honor Roll level by age five. Like all Kumon parents, we’ve had our ups and downs along this journey, but Brooklyn now has a rock solid academic foundation that has boosted her confidence with school and with social activities. I’m excited to continue building upon this foundation as she reaches even greater challenges at school over the next few years. Seeing my daughter’s transformation inspires me to provide our services to as many students as possible in our community, so many more children can thrive with Kumon.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kumon.com/westchester
- Phone: 424-226-6284
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kumon-Math-and-Reading-Center-of-Westchester/203195603033697
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kumon-math-and-reading-center-of-westchester-los-angeles-2
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