Sylvan Franchisee Celebrates 40 Years of Educational Excellence With California Learning Center

Katie Hilbert’s journey into franchising began with her background in education. After earning her teaching credential, she joined Sylvan as a teacher in 2012 and quickly found fulfillment working with students in small group settings. Though franchising wasn’t initially on her radar, the chance to grow her own center and shape its direction led her to embrace franchise ownership.

Hilbert now co-owns her Sylvan Learning Center franchise in La Mesa, California, with her husband, Jordan. Hilbert’s parents, Christopher and Ruth Purcell, make up an important part of the family team as accountants and part owners. Through their Sylvan franchise, Hilbert provides students with personalized learning support that has a lasting, positive impact. 

Hilbert took the time to chat with 1851 Franchise to discuss all of this and more. Here’s what she had to say.

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Katie Hilbert: I had gone to school to be a teacher. I got my teaching credential and then started working at Sylvan right after that in 2012. I really loved working in a small-group setting. I then moved up within the system to be an assistant director, then the director of education and, eventually, a center director. I envisioned myself being with Sylvan long-term, though I don’t think franchising initially appealed to me. However, this center was something that really resonated with me. When I had the chance to gain more autonomy and work toward my own goals in growing the center, that was what appealed to me.

1851: This year marks 40 years since your center has been open! Do you have any special plans for the 40-year anniversary?

Hilbert: I do have a shirt that says "40 Years of Sylvan" from when the franchise celebrated its 40th back in 2019, so I’ll have to wear that shirt this year. We will have to do a little something to celebrate in the center!

1851: What made you choose this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Hilbert: I was really excited about getting to do more targeted work with students. I come from a family with many educators, so teaching was always something I wanted to do. Seeing tangible impacts with kids is one of the biggest aspects I love. We get to work with students on short-term journeys, like SAT prep, where they come in for a few weeks and then share their scores or tell us the colleges they got into. Or when you see a little kid start to read — those are really amazing moments. 

I actually had one of my first students bring their child to us recently. That’s what I look forward to: that generational experience of helping families and having people come back because they had a positive experience with Sylvan as a kid and want that for their own children.

1851: What’s your biggest accomplishment in this job?

Hilbert: In 2022, we got the opportunity to partner with the Cajon Valley School District. They have a big summer program called Camp Cajon, and we were able to be one of the providers of STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math] classes. At first, it felt a bit daunting, but we dove in headfirst. I think we ended up having teachers at about 14 or 16 different schools over the summer, teaching STEM classes. We gathered all these Lego kits to put everything together. It was really impressive to see how we were able to organize and execute something on that scale, which we had never done before. At the end of the summer, seeing the number of schools and students we were able to reach was very rewarding.

1851: What advice do you have for aspiring franchisees or educators who are considering transitioning to an education franchise concept?

Hilbert: Especially for educators, it might feel daunting to jump into the business side of things. But if you understand the educational piece and have your heart in supporting students, you’ll figure out the specifics. Build a team with people who know the business side. I’m passionate about it, and as long as you’re there to help the kids, it’ll work out well. I think more educators should look into it and not feel like it’s something only businesspeople can do.

1851: What is your number one goal at the moment?

Hilbert: We’re looking into adding an additional feature to our Sylvan Learning Center called Class 101. It’s focused on college planning — counseling, helping kids choose colleges, finding scholarships, completing the FAFSA and similar support. That’s what’s on the horizon: adding this under the umbrella of our Sylvan facility and hopefully finding new ways to help families. I’m really looking forward to offering these additional services and resources to our Sylvan students and their families.

ABOUT SYLVAN LEARNING

With more than 45 years of experience and more than 710 points of presence, Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of personal learning for students in grades K-12. Sylvan is transforming how students learn, inspiring them to succeed in school and in life. Sylvan’s proven tutoring approach blends amazing teachers with SylvanSync™ technology on the iPad® for an engaging learning experience. Sylvan also leads the way with Sylvan EDGE — STEM and accelerated courses and Sylvan Prep — college and test prep courses. Sylvan supports families through every stage of the academic journey.  For more information, visit www.SylvanLearning.com.