Former Fortune 500 Employees Become Sylvan Learning Franchisees

With a combined 55 years of experience in the education system, Terry and Carol Wettig always appreciated the impact Sylvan Learning had on students in the community, but never envisioned themselves as franchise owners. The couple’s daughter spent time at Sylvan for a couple of months during her senior year in high school, leaving a lasting and positive impression on the couple, who consider themselves to be “lifelong learners.”

Carol and Terry had relocated from Alabama to Virginia where they both worked for a Fortune 500 company that specialized in security risk. Wanting to get back to their hometown to be near family, the couple began looking for a career change. The Wettigs were motivated to find a business opportunity that also gave back to the community they had spent more than 50 years in. Opening Sylvan Learning in Prattville, Alabama was the perfect fit.

“We are in a generation where we go to work for an employer and we never think we aren’t going to work for them,” said Terry, a retired Air Force veteran. “For Carol and I, we knew it was time for a career change and began looking for new things to do while trying to make our way back to Alabama.”

The Wettigs looked at other franchise brands, but continued coming back to Sylvan Learning because of its reputation and 40 years of excellence as the leading supplemental and enrichment education brand.

"I don't like doing anything that's not the best. When I invest my time, my energy and my money, I want to do it with the best company I can be with," Terry said.

Terry credits his background as a veteran as one of the reasons that franchising was a natural next step in his career. During his service, he picked up great organizational skills, the ability to set goals and comfort with following a roadmap, all of which will allow him to thrive as a franchisee.

The Wettigs opened in March of 2019 and are loving making a difference in the community.