Why This Longtime Sylvan Learning Owner Continues To Reinvest in the Brand

Owners with Sylvan Learning — the leading supplemental and enrichment education brand for students in grades K-12 with 750 points of presence across North America and more than 40 years of experience — often have years of operations and a portfolio of successful locations spurred by their passion for entrepreneurship and a desire to help in their communities.

Over the past 40 years, Sylvan Learning has perfected its business model, providing hands-on support to its owners to set them up for long-term success and help them achieve their individual growth goals. The corporate team, composed of industry executives, long-time Sylvan employees and former owners, have created streamlined systems and processes and a robust pool of resources to help owners run their businesses, from technology to operations to marketing.

Now, as demand for Sylvan Learning’s services continues to grow exponentially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, CEO John McAuliffe said the brand is excited to leverage its proven business model and supportive infrastructure to give franchise owners more control over their destiny.

“We’re honored that so many franchisees are choosing Sylvan as their next career path,” McAuliffe said. “Sylvan’s personalized teaching model allows them to live their mission to change the lives of students in their communities as they bring them the gift of education.”

One such owner who can’t get enough of the brand is Nebraska-based Missy Roh. She has been an owner with Sylvan Learning for more than nine years — but Sylvan ownership has run in her family for more than 25 years.

“I've learned a lot over the years, and I have really enjoyed being a part of the Sylvan community,” Roh said. “I've been thinking about opening up another center in Omaha for a while, and then the pandemic hit and everybody came together. Corporate really set us up for success and provided a lot of support and new ideas and made changes quickly. That reaffirmed how I felt about Sylvan and pushed me to make the decision to open that fourth center.”

Roh, whose mother-in-law passed the business down to her, has three Sylvan Learning centers and one Prometric Testing Center currently in operation across Nebraska, with her fourth Sylvan location scheduled to open at the end of 2021.

“This will be my very first center I'm actually opening by myself from the very beginning,” she said. “So I'm kind of excited and a little nervous to go through that process myself, but I’m confident Sylvan corporate has my back.”

When Roh thinks about why she continues to grow with Sylvan Learning in her home state, she looks to the communities around her and what they need most for their children.

“There are so many families and students of all different walks of life in the Omaha and Lincoln areas, and they really value education,” she said. “It’s amazing what some families are willing to sacrifice and give up for their children's education.”

Looking ahead, Roh said she hasn’t committed to further development, but with centers in Omaha, Bellevue and South Lincoln, expansion to a satellite center in North Lincoln is always on the table.

“I think our second location opening in Omaha at the end of December will put us in a good place in Omaha, but we haven’t maxed out the Lincoln space yet, so that’s still in the back of our minds for the future,” she said.