My Story

For many years, I believed teaching was simply about helping children perform well academically. But over time, both my professional experiences and my personal life changed the way I understood learning, children, and what support truly means.

As a child, I was naturally quiet and introverted. I often felt unseen in spaces where louder voices seemed to receive more attention and recognition. Even then, I found myself drawn to education. I helped my mother, who was also a teacher, prepare charts and other teaching materials while I was still attending secondary school. Although I once dreamed of pursuing journalism or law, teaching eventually became the path I walked.

Over the past 24 years in education, I have worked with many children who struggled quietly. Some lacked confidence. Some could memorize but did not fully understand. Some were overwhelmed by pressure, comparison, or fear of making mistakes. I began to realize that many children were not failing because they were incapable. Often, they simply needed learning to be approached differently.

My understanding of children deepened even more through my experience as a mother.

My son was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and required significant care throughout his life. There were periods when he was hospitalized for weeks at a time, and I moved constantly between the hospital and the classroom. I experienced firsthand the emotional, physical, and mental challenges that many parents silently carry while trying to care for their children and continue functioning daily.

That experience changed me permanently.

It taught me patience. It taught me empathy. It taught me that every child’s journey is different. And it taught me that behind every child who is struggling is often a parent who is also trying their best.

Those experiences shaped the philosophy behind the Desha Academy.

I believe children learn best when they feel supported, encouraged, and understood. I believe understanding should come before memorization, confidence before pressure, and growth before perfection. I believe children deserve safe spaces where they can ask questions, make mistakes, think deeply, and develop at their own pace.

Through Bold Print Bookshop, I wanted to provide families with access to books, learning materials, stationery, and educational resources that support comprehension, creativity, critical thinking, and a genuine love for learning. Together, the Desha Academy and Bold Print Bookshop work hand in hand to support both children and parents beyond the traditional classroom setting.

Today, through both spaces, I work with children ages 3 to 12 and support parents who are looking for more meaningful, supportive approaches to learning. My goal is not simply to help children “pass exams,” but to help them build confidence, strengthen understanding, and develop independent learning habits that will support them long after the classroom years are over.

This journey has never simply been about education for me.

It has always been about helping children feel seen, capable, and supported while helping parents realize they do not have to navigate learning challenges alone.

Our Mission Statement

At the Desha Academy, our mission is simple and non-negotiable: no child leaves our care feeling overlooked, misunderstood, or left behind. We exist for the child at the kitchen table who shuts down over a homework assignment, and for the parent sitting beside them who knows that their child is capable of far more than what is currently showing up. Every session, every programme, and every resource we offer is built around that single, unwavering commitment.

Our Philosophy

We believe that when a child struggles, the question is rarely whether they are capable. The question is whether they have been seen.

This philosophy was not born in a classroom theory or a curriculum guide. It was born from experience; from being the quiet child who understood everything but was never asked, and from becoming the educator who made a decision that it would never happen to another child on her watch.

At the Desha Academy, we work in small, intentional groups because being seen is not a privilege; it is a right. Every child who comes through our doors is treated as an individual, not a curriculum to be covered. We take the time to understand how they learn, what holds them back, and what unlocks them. We do not measure success by grades alone. We measure it by the moment a child stops hiding their hand and starts raising it; by the day they walk in with confidence instead of dread, and leave knowing that they belong here.

Our mission is not simply to help children keep up. It is to help them discover that they were never as far behind as anyone told them. They were simply waiting for the right person to look closely enough.