How Kumon has helped me become my own boss

Yvonne O’Rourke has been an Instructor at the Clonmel study centre for over five years:

“I’ve always had a strong passion for education, and after studying a degree in Business Accounting and Finance, I completed a graduate diploma in Education. Soon after, I was a secondary school maths and accounting teacher in Ireland for eight years. I felt I wanted a change in my career and discovered Kumon through a friend’s recommendation.

I’ve always wanted to be my own boss. Being a Kumon Instructor provides a healthy work-life balance which means that I now have a greater level of flexibility for ‘family time’. Running my own franchise business enables me to take ownership and experience life as an entrepreneur with the secure support of a globally recognised brand. It’s great to know I have the continuous support from my Area Manager and the Kumon team, and I always learn something new when returning from Instructor training.

I opened my centre five years ago and three of my four children currently study Kumon and my oldest recently completed the maths programme. She is now studying Mathematical Science at University and I know Kumon provided her with the skills and confidence in her own abilities. She is a prime example of how developing a child’s ability can help them reach their true potential.

I’m delighted with the success of my centre to date as I recently reached over 100 subjects, with the hope to grow further. It is always great to receive referrals from happy customers, which says a lot about the Kumon brand and how well I am running my business. Word of mouth marketing has been a key factor to my centre’s expansion and has seen the centre grow in the local community with new students, siblings and relatives joining.

I enjoy running class and witnessing students develop in ability and fluency over the course of their Kumon journey. For me, the most rewarding thing about being a Kumon Instructor is helping students reach that ‘light bulb’ moment and solve a particular question confidently or move on to a higher level.

During my time as a Kumon Instructor, I’ve witnessed first-hand the benefits of daily Kumon study, helping children blossom into confident and independent learners.”