Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine Draughn.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Learning and teaching Reading has always been my passion. Sometimes, we have to go through life to figure out what it is we really want to do but not in my case. From the very beginning, I knew helping others, reading, and writing was my calling. Teaching allows me to do all three of these things in a way that will forever be beneficial.
I remember being excited to help my two younger brothers Demarco and Dequayvious with their homework especially reading and writing. I would sneak workbooks home from school so that I can make sure our learning continued during school breaks. I was really a book worm. As I became of age to work, I begin working at local Summer camps. I worked at local summer camps until I graduated high school. Upon graduating from Benjamin E. Mays High School, I continued my education at Atlanta Metropolitan State College and now Georgia State University. A few years ago, my career plan was to teach middle grades Reading and Mechanics until circumstances permit me to open my own K-12 campus. However, that has changed a little. In 2016, I begin working at a charter school in southwest Atlanta. It was at this school that I found my new love for working with “at-risk students.” I don’t like the term “at risk” so I’ll use small group learners (SGL) going forward.SGLs are students that are at risk of being retained, being diagnosed with a learning disability, or being removed from a traditional school setting due to behavior issues.
As an intervention specialist, I worked with students in small groups or in one on one sessions to provide additional assistance. As time progressed, I noticed a lot of students education needs were not being fulfilled due to one or two reasons: 1. They require a little more time than others. 2. They are not initially getting an accurate amount of instruction time from parents or teachers.
With that being said, it was revealed to me that my place is not in a traditional classroom but in a setting that allows me to work with small group learners. Once this was revealed to me, my entire vibe changed about working at the school which lead to my departure. Moving forward, I vowed to not only educate youth but adults as well. In order to tackle education deficits, we must use a holistic approach. This means, we must not only make sure our youth are being educated but the adults around them as well. It was this thinking that birthed Millennial Learners League.
Has it been a smooth road?
Along the way, I have faced far too many struggles to discuss in this interview (Starts laughing). Attending Atlanta Metropolitan State College was not apart of my initial plan. Originally, I wanted to attend Bethune Cookman University, in which I got accepted but did not attend due to my lack of financial planning. I was devastated when I did not attend BCU in the fall of 2013 but I refused to not go to college at all. Later, I realized it wasn’t meant for me to leave home because my grandmother soon became ill and I was the only family member that had the patience love, and skills to provide the care she needed. It was tough working full time, being a full-time student, and caregiver. As a result, I fell behind in school but persisted. So, challenge number one is being able to balance school and persevere when It seems like everything is going wrong.
Challenge #2 While working at the school, several people questioned my ability to do my job because of “how young I was.” My advice to young women especially those of melanin is to never allow anyone to make you feel less than because they are older than you. Success and skill set has no age requirement. Walk into every position and every room owning what you bring to the table, whether it’s your business or someone else’s.
We’d love to hear more about Millennial Learners League.
Millennial Learners League specialize in self-investment. Describing us as a tutoring program is an understatement. We specialize in English education and professional development. As a brand, we take a holistic approach in everything we do. When one comes to us for tutoring we want to know more than just the school concepts one is struggling with. We want to know is there anything in your personal life that is preventing you from learning, we want to know are you experiencing depression, we want to know how confident are you about yourself as a whole because all these are factors to becoming a successful being. It is this approach that sets us apart from other educational programs. W.E.B. Dubois once stated that education must teach life and that’s what we do. Teaching life includes teaching one how to go into the world being able to love themselves, love others and be able to provide. We include professional development in our program because it is a life skill.
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
My childhood played a major roll in setting me up for success. I grew up on the west side of Atlanta and being in that environment alone made me want to help others and myself have a better adulthood. I witnessed my mom struggle to take care of three kids and I knew I had to take a different route for my family sake. I also watched my Nana run her own childcare center which was proof that I too can be a business owner.
Pricing:
- Tutoring starts at $30 per hour
- Professional Development $45 for 1.5 hour(s)
- Detox Writing Workshop $25
- Resume Revamping $25-$49
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.millenniallearnersleague.com (launch May 13, 2019)
- Instagram: M.learnersleague
- Facebook: Millennial Learners League
Image Credit:
Jasmine Draughn
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