Sandra Zamalis
Owner & Director
Have you ever had an experience where you felt guided or nudged, by what could only be described as a divine hand, towards a purpose that was far above the path you had imagined for yourself? Nudges that were subtle, but when you look back, you can see that hand and are forever grateful?
My name is Sandy Zamalis, I am the Executive Director of LearningRx Staunton-Harrisonburg and a Cognitive Skills Specialist, and my life path took an interesting shift in 2012, when my family moved to VA and I hung up my hat as a homeschooling mom. I was lost and aimless and wondered, “What am I supposed to do now?”
After being family centered for so many years, I felt entirely unprepared to enter the workforce, so I decided to go back to college and get my Masters Degree. With the plan of becoming an elementary school teacher, my childhood dream, I zeroed in on education and got started by enrolling in classes and volunteering in my local schools.
During my time in the school, my heart broke for the struggling, frustrated students, who felt lost in the shuffle, and for the teachers who were running on fumes to meet all the needs of their students and demands of their job.
I started to doubt my decision and wondered if teaching was really the right fit for me, but at the root, I ultimately wanted to understand why learning was harder for struggling students and how I was going to be able to help. Nothing I was being taught in my educational program was teaching me how to help students who needed me the most.
One day, serendipitously, I overheard a classmate talking about a cognitive training center where she worked as a brain trainer, and how excited she was about helping her student, who struggled retaining information, memorize the names of all the US presidents. It caught my attention, because I had just read an article about classroom learning and behavior challenges often being rooted in cognitive weakness. I was so curious about what the cognitive training center was doing differently that I immediately googled LearningRx, found that there was a center in my area, and proceeded to walk in the front door. The warm and energetic owner greeted me and shared so many common interests, I felt at home, and when she said they were having a hiring event the following week, I applied, and I never looked back.
In the days, months, and years that have followed, there have been countless moments of affirmation that have confirmed my choice. Each client that I have had the privilege to work with, each parent that I have given hope, and each staff member that has caught my same passion has made me so grateful to have taken the leap from teaching to training.
I have had a front row seat to the transformation of kids and adults, like Emma, a Slurpee loving 7th grader, who was finally able to read independently after 6 months of training in our ReadRx program. Or Kim, a 45-year-old stay at home mom, who worked with me for a year to build stronger working memory and processing speed skills, so that she could confidently reenter the workforce. Or Noah, a 15-year-old high school sophomore who believed he wasn’t smart and would spend his life working at a fast-food chain, but with work on processing speed and reading and comprehension skills, was able to graduate from high school with honors.
The center I became a trainer in, is now the center I own and am the Executive Director of. I have grown that center to two centers and was proud when we became a Board Certified Cognitive Center in our community.
My mission is to help struggling individuals OVERCOME the learning challenges that are keeping them from experiencing success in the classroom, in the workplace, or in life.
For in this accidently divine journey of mine, I have discovered that true, unshakeable self-confidence comes when one is afforded the ability to build a strong cognitive foundation.
It’s a gift we all deserve.
Millie Kauffman
Assistant DirectoR & Director of Training
Hello, my name is Millie! I’m a Board Certified Cognitive Coach and I wear two hats at LearningRx – as the Assistant Director and the Director of Training. My mission at LearningRx comes from a passion I have for helping others overcome learning obstacles and unlock their full potential. Having personally experienced the frustration of low attention, slow learning and unorganized thinking, I’m committed to creating pathways to faster and easier thinking for those seeking cognitive improvements.
With experience in training clients of all ages, I have the privilege of guiding individuals through their personal and unique learning journeys.
Whether my client is a child building foundational skills or an adult wishing for cognitive enhancement, I tackle each session with a mix of energy and compassion. Witnessing the transformation and growth in my clients is what keeps me inspired and dedicated to my work.
Another joy of mine is welcoming, training and mentoring new trainers. Watching them develop their skills and contribute to our mission is incredibly rewarding. At LearningRx my focus is to maintain a supportive environment where clients and staff can thrive.
Angee Witherspoon
Angee is an IBCCES Certified Cognitive Coach who is also studying Psychology at JMU, planning to get a M.A in Clinical Psychology. Prior to working at LearningRx, she has worked with children for over 7 years. Working at a Montessori school sparked her interest in psychology, more specifically developmental and cognitive/ behavioral psychology. She hopes to become a child psychologist or a child life specialist.
In her words, “Working at LearningRx has only fueled this fire. It’s truly incredible to witness the process each child makes and the confidence that blossoms from it. My favorite part of training is that it doesn’t even feel like training because I am making a challenge fun. The feeling of helping each of my students reach their goals and acknowledge their potential is very rewarding.”
