Meet Abigail Valdes | Academic Enrichment Tutor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Abigail Valdes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Abigail, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Since I was in high school I knew that my passion was to help and teach kids. When I was thinking of starting my own business, I knew I wanted it to be in education and something that I knew I was good at. When I was a teacher, I also was a tutor and a coach. Tutoring was always something I enjoyed because families would come to me for help in their child’s education but also treated me like family. I knew I had all of the tools to start the tutoring business, but I just had to take a leap to start it.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Brighter Minds Tutoring is a place where kids can feel comfortable to be pushed, challenged, and even make mistakes. When learning, there are going to be times when the light bulb clicks on, but there will be times that it can be struggle. One of my favorite things to do for a child is to come up with a creative way to help them remember a concept. It also challenges me too! I am most proud of the success of the kids I tutor. For example, when that high schooler passes their final exam that we were studying so hard for, or when that 1st grader can read a whole story on their own. It makes me so proud to see the growth in each individual student. I had the idea of this business stirring in my heart in March of 2023, and it took a lot of diligent planning on my end. I took the leap of faith the first week of May and preparing for the week to come when the business would become official. I was able to make the right connections right before summertime and now have over 25 kids that I have been tutoring over the summer. I have learned that even though I make my own schedule, this business is something that I am always working on. This is something that I want to nurture and grow. I have even had to hire a couple of tutors. They are fantastic ladies that are excited to grow this business  alongside me. I want to be able to say yes to every parent that has the need for tutoring. Because of COVID-19, there are so many kids that have gaps in their learning. I want to help bridge those gaps. My story is one that comes from one of self-development on my part. I was trying to find my passion in education as a teacher and how I wanted to help kids.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am a big sushi lover! Any place with good sushi, I am there! But my favorite places are Kura in Aventura and Blue Ginger in Southwest Ranches. I like Kura because of their conveyor belt of rotating sushi. They even have a robot that comes and serves you your drinks. The experience is great and I love all the options of sushi! Blue Ginger is the same concept but instead of a conveyor belt, they have little sushi boats floating in water in a circle around a bar! They have not only sushi but also coconut shrimp, chicken and steak skewers, crab rangoons, scallops, and more! My favorite place to go out will always be The Wharf in Downtown Fort Lauderdale. The Wharf not only has food trucks but also corhole and ping pong that you can play. I am a big gamer and love competing! Also right outside of The Wharf is my favorite taco place, Bodega! There’s not a taco there that I don’t love!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The first person I want to shoutout is my mom. My mom was a 2nd grade teacher my whole childhood and I had the opportunity to see her teach, love, and care for these students. It made me the teacher I am today and I will always look to her as an inspiration. The second person I want to shoutout is my dad. He has always been a supporter and number one fan of mine. He gives me insight particularly on the business because he owns his own ventilation business as well. He gives me the tips I need to be successful as a first time business owner. Lastly, I would like to shoutout my best friend. I remember talking to him in March of 2023 just about my yearning to want to be a full time tutor. He challenged me and pushed me to make this dream a reality, and I thank him so much for this. I won’t share his name, but he will know I am talking about him.

Website: www.brighterminds-tutoring.com

Instagram: brighterminds.tutoring

Facebook: Brighter Minds Tutoring