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.
I was prepared for the hard work and the preparation, but it became clear pretty quickly that I wasn’t prepared for the reality of working in a classroom. 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.
Lisa Letzelter
Assistant director, trainer mentor
Lisa has over a decade of experience working with children. She loves working at LearningRx because it’s challenging and fun! In her words, “I love how quickly I can see improvements in the kids I work with, and watch as they become self-motivated to conquer challenging activities.” Outside of work Lisa spends time with her family and pets, and performs at local open mics.
Josie Ratliff
IBCCES Certified cognitive coach
Josie has an extensive background in education, having taught middle school math for a number of years in addition to private tutoring. Her favorite part of training is watching her students’ cognitive improvement and seeing their confidence grow!
Josie and her husband have raised their children (and 3 furbabies) here in the Valley over the last 25 years. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, puzzles, gardening, and hiking.
