Big News! We’re Expanding!
Amanda Vaughn, the owner and founder of Connections Academics, had no idea where her education degree would take her when she started out as a Title I Reading Teaching in Indiana. After teaching third and fourth grade in Vermont, she landed in Cincinnati teaching fourth grade at Cincinnati Country Day School. In the spring of 2008 and with a baby on the way, Amanda decided to step out of the classroom—a decision she thought would be a temporary one. As the school year wrapped up, Amanda emailed fourteen families from her class that year, telling them she would be taking a year off and wanted to offer tutoring services for the summer and into the following school year. Four families emailed back, taking her up on the offer to tutor.
Amanda spent the next three years tutoring while also earning her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. By the time Amanda’s second son was born, she was receiving more tutoring requests than she could handle on her own. She offered to help clients find replacement tutors while she was on maternity leave, but found that the parents still wanted her involved even when utilizing replacement tutors. This was the first spark of a tutoring business.
In the summer of 2012, the first Connections Tutoring meeting was held at Panera Bread. This meeting included Amanda and three other tutors, but within a year the team had grown to ten teachers, and Connections Tutoring officially started in 2013. “As Connections grew, many parents would say to me, ‘I didn't think you worked with families like us’—meaning students who were highly motivated and engaged in academics. These families had average to gifted students and really wanted enrichment or help taking the stress of homework off the parents,” said Amanda. “I realized we weren’t necessarily tutoring; we were supporting families and building a trusted reputation of meeting all academic needs.”
““...this was no longer a side gig to fill the time before her young boys were in school and she went back to teaching. It was something she was passionate about and could see herself doing for the long term.””
Between 2017 and 2018 Amanda evaluated where she wanted Connections to go, and she realized this was no longer a side gig to fill the time before her young boys were in school and she went back to teaching. It was something she was passionate about and could see herself doing for the long term.
With this new vision came a new name. Connections Tutoring became Connections Academics, and the team grew to nearly 50 highly qualified tutors. Amanda found she also needed more help running a growing business and hired an incredible team of women for the Leadership Team. It is one of these women, Anna Tewell, who is about to help take the growth Connections Academics to a new and exciting level.
Anna recalls her beginnings with Connections as a little unconventional. “There was no formal interview or information session, no exchanging of resumes or job hunting. Instead, I found out about Amanda through a mutual friend while working as an Intervention Specialist at Walnut Hills High School. I am always looking to expand my network and expertise, so I emailed Amanda and begged her to have coffee with me.”
To Anna’s good fortune, word had already reached Amanda about this Invention Specialist from Walnut Hills. In fact, a former tutor contacted Amanda and described Anna as a “rockstar teacher.” A coffee date was set, and Amanda quickly realized Anna was not only a rockstar teacher, she was also a great communicator with creativity and vision.
Just like starting with Connections, Anna’s beginnings in education were also unconventional. After attending Miami University and graduating with a degree in Speech Language Pathology, she switched gears and was accepted into a program called Teach for America. Through the program, Anna taught in an urban elementary school setting in Indianapolis, serving as an Intervention Specialist for Grades K-4. “I credit this time for igniting my passion for all aspects of education, specifically academic intervention for students with disabilities,” said Anna.
She earned a Masters in Special Education and K-12 Education from Marian University, and shortly after graduating, she moved to Cincinnati. Through a strike of luck and an interview the week before school started, Anna began a job at Walnut Hills High School. During her time at Walnut, she worked with students in grades 7-12 in a traditional Intervention setting, as well as helping run a Student Success Center that offered intervention supports to 7th and 8th grade students. “Though much has happened in the last 6 years and even more so in the last 6 months,” said Anna, “the constant has been my love for working with students and families! As a teacher myself, I was so intrigued that Amanda, a former teacher, had created a thriving business related to education but outside of the school setting. We spent many mornings at the local coffee shop discussing the business and its beginnings, as well as possibilities for growth in the future.” Amanda knew Anna would be an incredible asset to the Connections Academic team.
Anna began working for Connections in January of 2019 as one of the Mentoring Coordinators to support the hiring, training, and supervising of the rapidly growing tutor team. Anna was instrumental in refining and improving the hiring and training processes as well as seeking ways to better support families.
““I wanted to open a second location in a nearby city within the next five year. Little did I know that goal would be coming to fruition much sooner than I expected.””
Amanda kicked off a Leadership Team in January of 2020 with a few personal and professional goals. “One of those goals felt like a big dream I was hesitant to share.” she admits. “I wanted to open a second location in a nearby city within the next five year. Little did I know that goal would be coming to fruition much sooner than I expected.”
In August of 2020, Anna left her job as Intervention Specialist to work with Connections full-time. This allowed Anna to get a better understanding of the undertakings of a small business, and also work one-on-one with more students and families. In doing this, Anna became fully invested in the inner workings of Connections and the possibilities for further growth. “Through our time together, I have watched Amanda in awe, as she continues to build a uniquely personal business, partner with area schools and form long-lasting relationships with clients in Cincinnati. Amanda is a leader, friend, mom and businesswoman, but she has also become an invaluable source of mentorship. Through our weekly meetings, Amanda and I use our differing strengths to continue to do what Connections does best, while also forming new ideas for what the future might hold,” said Anna.
Just months later, Anna and her husband, Kevin, decided to take an exciting opportunity and relocate to Chicago. Anna cautiously and graciously shared the news with Amanda and asked if Amanda would consider opening a Connections Academics in Chicago. “I was beaming with excitement for the next three days as I thought about all the possibilities,” Amanda recalls. “I came back excited and optimistic to Anna. Let’s do this.”
““We are thrilled to bring Connections to a new city filled with students and families that we can offer academic support to and build long-lasting relationships with.””
Amanda and Anna have spent the last few months organizing the spring 2021 launch of a second location. Nothing will change in Cincinnati other than hiring a new Mentoring Coordinator. Anna will be the Chicago Academic Support Director; she will be the point person for schools, parents, and students, similar to the role Amanda has in Cincinnati. “I'm excited about the opportunity to support a phenomenal entrepreneurial woman as she grows the Chicago branch of Connections,” said Amanda. “We are thrilled to bring Connections to a new city filled with students and families that we can offer academic support to and build long-lasting relationships with. We feel confident that in expanding Connections Academics, we can further our reach without sacrificing any of the current personalized and convenient service that we bring to the Cincinnati area.”
What can our current clients do to support this endeavor?
We appreciate your continued referrals for business here in Cincinnati. This is our passion, our heart, and what we plan on doing for many years to come.
If you have friends or family in the Chicago area, we would love your referrals for Connections Academics Chicago.
One of the unexpected benefits of COVID has been our ability to transition to virtual supports. We have been humbled by your referrals to friends and family that live outside of the Cincinnati area, and we plan to continue offering virtual support to our clients in Cincinnati, Chicago, and beyond. This has been an incredible asset for busy families. It has allowed us to serve families outside of our physical locations and provide an opportunity to grow our team to include highly qualified tutors that may not be located in Cincinnati.
