Wonder Kids Learning Center, Paulina Enriquez
I opened my business and was running at full capacity within a couple of months. I was recognized by M&T Bank for my leadership during Hispanic Heritage Month and was invited to attend their leadership class. I also spoke on women’s empowerment at a Women’s Day event in Arlington County.
I am the owner and director of Wonder Kids Learning Center, a childcare center for children ages 3 months to 5 years old.
I love education and I love working with children. I realized during the pandemic that I’ve been putting my heart into others' childcare centers for 20 years. I wanted to put that same heart into my own childcare center and apply my own ideas such as Spanish immersion and emotional intelligence coaching.
It is the passion and commitment I have for education; I truly believe that education can change the world. The first years of a child’s life are so important and I want to contribute to that, not only through academics, but also through social and emotional learning such as how to manage feelings, how to be creative, how to be persistent. That’s what makes us special.
Having been an assistant director at another center, I knew how to run a childcare center, but I didn’t know how to create a business plan, reach out to banks, or get the support of the community. BizLaunch referred me to SCORE in 2021 when I decided to open my own childcare center, advising me to get a business mentor. I was fortunate to be assigned to Richard Rose.
With Richard’s guidance, I wrote a 30-page business plan in English (my second language) which Richard has described as one of the ‘best’ business plan he’s ever seen. It was a real challenge for me and to hear that from someone like Richard with all of his experience made me proud. This business plan provided me with all the foundation I need to run my business.
Richard is wonderful. I knew that we had someone that believed in the project. When I had down moments, he always cheered me up and told me ‘You can do it.’ I needed that encouragement to keep going. And Richard gave the best advice because he knew how to do this. Having Richard as my mentor during the whole process right up until the doors opened was amazing.
I'm passionate about guiding entrepreneurs through the exciting journey of starting and managing...
