Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Monica Hall.
Hi Dr. Mo, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Greetings! I am an Army Reserve Chaplain and was serving as a youth pastor when I opened T.H.R.I.V.E. Christian Academy (TCA) in 2013 and began the 2013/14 school year with only two first-grade students. Eleven school years later, T.H.R.I.V.E. Christian Academy is fully accreditation (with Highest Quality) and servicing almost 300 students spanning from our toddler room through 12th grade. TCA presented its first high school graduating class in 2020 and each subsequent class has set a legacy of excellence already! Their accomplishments include graduating from high school with their associate degrees via dual enrollment offered at TCA and Georgia Military College, fellowships at LSU, and full scholarships to Xavier University and Albany State, to name a few. Classes have represented a variety of career fields ranging from Air Defense Controllers in the military to college pursuits, realtors, and entrepreneurship. TCA’s most recent Class Valedictorian was selected for the Jamaican Junior Olympic Soccer Team and plays NCAA Division I soccer here in Georgia. Most recently, 100% of the junior and senior classes received acceptance and scholarships from both Claflin University and SC State last month during their campus tours.
TCA is on the rise and has a proven track record of taking ownership-performing school’s students and empowering them to defy the odds socially and academically.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Smooth?!? Absolutely not! Founding a school is challenging in and of itself due to the lack of resources and lack of mentors to coach and/or advocate for new founders along the way. Much of what I’ve learned has been trial and error, accompanied by bumps and bruises, but the students and God have been constant sources of encouragement. From pursuing accreditation as the first minority-owned private school Kindergarten 3 program in the State to adding high school grades and figuring out how to navigate the high school system with minimal resources, to pursuing campus ownership! Financing for a K12 private school, particularly a religiously affiliated school, has proven to be very challenging in this financial climate and context.
Being a Veteran-owned, minority-owned, woman-owned business has come with an array of challenges in the K-12 private education arena. I’m definitely looking for ways to advocate and pave a smoother path for future education entrepreneurs.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
TCA is a private K-12 school located in Tucker, GA, near Stone Mountain. We are the best-kept secret of education in Atlanta, eclipsing an enrollment of 250 plus minority students with a 100% minority staff. We specialize in doing primary and secondary education in excellence and the “HBCU” way! We incorporate enrichment trips, technology, and project-based learning to ensure our curriculum remains relevant with real-world application and testimonies of success to match. I’m most proud that we’ve been able to do it “FUBU – For us and by us,” without having to conform nor sacrifice the pillars that make us who we are. Many investors said we’d have to change the name of the school and drop “Christian” from the title and other recommended that we force diversity. They miss that TCA is diversity personified! We have been able to defy the odds and produce top scholars and good Samaritans all while operating with an all-minority faculty and staff. We welcome diversity and, at the same time, we are proud of what we have accomplished to date.
What does success mean to you?
Success looks like our pillars shining through our scholars: truth, humility, respect, victory and excellence (T.H.R.I.V.E.). We attended the HBCU night hosted by the Atlanta Hawks last month. We traveled via Marta, and at one of the stops, the train was full and an elderly woman stepped onto the train, and one of my 8th grade males immediately stood up and offered his seat to her. When she declined, he insisted she take the seat.
I define my success by the character of my students, the growth of faith among my faculty, and the development of my staff to be better Christians and entrepreneurs themselves. Our students are our marketing package and they are the examples of our success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theTHRIVEway.org
- Instagram: @the.thrive.way
- Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/thethriveway? mibextid=dGKdO6 - Twitter: @thethriveway
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.
com/@ thrivechristianacademyinc.5767
