July 16, 2020

Meet RaKya Burkes of HUMBLE Tutoring & Mentoring in Metro Atlanta Area

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to RaKya Burkes.

RaKya, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My business partner, Deon Leigh, and I grew up in low-class neighborhoods surrounded by gang violence, severe poverty, and high crime rates. Our only outlet was education. We realized that many children we grew up with never finished high school, and did not think about going to college. Obtaining higher education was not encouraged because no one else did it. Almost everyone we grew up with would gain the title as a first-generation student if they had finished high school or went to college. Being surrounded by individuals who do not necessarily value education makes graduating from high school and navigating through college extremely difficult. There are little to no positive role models, which is the problem. I have been an English tutor for children in my community since 2018, and I started out mentoring at my alma mater, Dekalb Early College Academy. I was President of their mentoring program during my senior year. Having experience working closely with young minorities while they achieved their academic and personal goals encouraged me to start my own business.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Our journey has been smooth for the most part. We gained clientele and generated revenue within the first week. The only struggle we have at the moment is how we advertise. We are currently using Facebook and Instagram to promote our business, but it seems to be at a standstill.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about HUMBLE Tutoring & Mentoring – what should we know?
HUMBLE Tutoring & Mentoring is owned and operated by two African-American students who received their Associate Degrees at 18. HUMBLE stands for helping unstoppable minorities become leaders in education.

Our mission is to provide minorities with skills, learning techniques, and opportunities to expand their knowledge and increase their academic success and career readiness.

We specialize in Math (K-10th grade) and English/Language Arts (PreK-10th grade) for our tutoring services. All high school students and recent graduates are encouraged to fill out our mentee application.

We are proud that we can provide resources and knowledge that changes the lives of young minorities.

We seem to be the only black-owned business that provides both in-person and virtual tutoring and mentoring for young minorities at low rates.

Pricing:

In-Person Math and English Tutoring: $20/hour
Online Math and English Tutoring: $15/hour
Mentoring: Free. We review applications and accept students based on their short-essay responses. Our mentoring applications open on October 1, 2020.

Contact Info:

Website: www.humbletutoring.com
Phone: 404-667-4996
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humbletutoring/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humbletutoringandmentoring
Other: https://www.instagram.com/humblementoring/?hl=en

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