A Letter From Our Founder & CEO

Dear Parents and Families,

Welcome to USA Gifted JIVY League Academy.

“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.”— Margaret Mead

That idea captures much of what I hope we can accomplish at JIVY.

As a mother, educator, lifelong learner, business executive, and someone who has spent much of my life working with students, professionals, organizations, and communities, I have always believed that education is one of the greatest investments we can make in a child’s future. But I also believe education should be about far more than grades.

When I think about what I want for my own child—and what I hope for every child who becomes part of our JIVY family—I don’t simply ask whether that child can earn an A in mathematics or read above grade level. I ask:  Will this child remain curious? Will they know how to think independently? Will they have the confidence to stand before others and communicate an idea? Will they know how to solve a problem when there is no answer at the back of the textbook? Will they understand money and financial responsibility? Will they know how to collaborate and lead? Will they discover music, science, technology, art, chess, athletics, or another passion that enriches their life?

And perhaps most importantly: Will they love learning?

Those questions became part of the inspiration for JIVY League Academy.

Why I Created JIVY

My own journey has crossed many different worlds: education, finance, business, executive leadership, research, music, public speaking, community service, and lifelong learning.

Those experiences have taught me something very important: The abilities that help people succeed in life rarely come from one subject alone. Mathematics teaches us logic. Literature teaches us perspective. Science teaches us curiosity. Research teaches us to question. Chess teaches us strategy. Music teaches us discipline and expression. Sports teach us persistence and teamwork. Business teaches us decision-making. Public speaking teaches us confidence. Leadership teaches us responsibility for others.

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” — Benjamin Franklin

That is why JIVY is designed to be more than a tutoring center.

Listening to More Than Thousands of Parents & Students

Before shaping JIVY into the academy I envisioned, I wanted to understand education not only from the perspective of an educator, executive, or parent, but also through the voices of the families and students we hope to serve.

Through conversations with more than thousands of parents and students from diverse national, cultural, and educational backgrounds, together with my own research and analysis, I began looking closely at a fundamental question:

What do families truly expect from a tutoring and enrichment center—and what do children actually need in order to thrive?

Although every family has different priorities, several themes emerged repeatedly.

Parents want their children to succeed academically, but they also want them to become confident, independent, responsible, resilient, and prepared for the future.

They want strong grades and test results, but they also want children who can think critically, communicate effectively, solve unfamiliar problems, develop meaningful interests, and make good decisions.

Students, meanwhile, need something equally important: they need to feel that learning is not simply an endless cycle of worksheets, assignments, tests, and pressure.

From those conversations and my research, I came to a conclusion that has become central to the JIVY philosophy:

Excellence should be challenging—but it should not be joyless.

Children can work hard and still love learning. They can pursue ambitious goals while remaining curious, creative, confident, and happy. They can experience intellectual challenge without believing that learning must always feel stressful or burdensome.

Achievement should not come only from doing more. Sometimes it comes from thinking deeper, asking a better question, discovering a new interest, solving a difficult problem, creating something original, or finally understanding why something works. That is why we seek to balance:

CHALLENGE + JOY
RIGOR + CURIOSITY
STRUCTURE + CREATIVITY
ACHIEVEMENT + WELL-BEING
ACCELERATION + DEPTH
INDEPENDENCE + MENTORSHIP

At JIVY, I want students to walk into a learning experience thinking:

“I wonder what I will discover today.”

rather than simply:

“How much work do I have to finish?”

For me, that distinction matters.

Because when children discover that excellence and joy can belong together, education stops being something they merely have to do and can become something they genuinely want to pursue.

More Than Tutoring

There are many places where children can practice mathematics or receive homework assistance.

JIVY was created with a broader purpose.

We envision an environment where a child can receive excellent academic support while also exploring STEM, research, coding, AI, chess, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, music, piano, singing, dance, athletics, public speaking, and leadership.

Instead of asking only: “How can we help this child get a better grade?”, we want to ask: “What makes this child extraordinary—and how can we help it grow?”

Every Child Has a Different Gift

One of the principles closest to my heart is that children do not develop at exactly the same speed or in exactly the same way.

A child may be years ahead in mathematics but need more development in writing.

Another may be an extraordinary reader.

Another may think like an engineer.

Another may become fascinated by chess.

Another may come alive when singing on a stage.

Another may discover an unexpected ability to lead.

And sometimes children surprise everyone—including themselves.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree…” — commonly attributed to Albert Einstein

For that reason, we seek to understand each student’s academic readiness, strengths, interests, learning needs, and emerging talents rather than defining a child solely by age, grade, or test score.

Learning From Mentors

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” — commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin

Higher education has played an important role in my own journey, and I want children to see universities, scholarship, research, innovation, and lifelong learning as exciting and attainable.

Our vision includes opportunities for students to learn from qualified university tutors and mentors and to benefit from exposure to educators, professors, researchers, business leaders, scientists, artists, and other accomplished professionals.

When a young child meets someone studying engineering, medicine, science, business, music, or another field, an abstract future can suddenly become imaginable.

A child begins thinking: “Maybe I can do that.”

And sometimes, one small spark can change the direction of a child’s life.

What Success Means to Me

If a JIVY student earns higher grades, I will be delighted. But grades alone will never define our success.

I will consider JIVY successful when a child who once said: “I’m not good at math.” begins saying: “Give me another problem.”

When a shy child confidently walks onto a stage and speaks.

When a young musician performs for an audience for the first time.

When two children shake hands after a difficult chess match.

When a student creates an invention that fails—and immediately begins redesigning it.

When children learn that earning money requires effort and managing money requires responsibility.

When a student asks a question that none of us expected.

When children discover talents they didn’t know they possessed.

And when they leave JIVY still curious about tomorrow.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” — commonly attributed to Winston Churchill

My Promise to Our Families

As Founder, CEO, and Principal, I want JIVY League Academy to remain grounded in one principle: Every decision begins with what helps our children learn, grow, discover, and thrive.

We will pursue excellence without sacrificing joy.

We will challenge children without defining them by test scores.

We will encourage ambition while teaching kindness.

We will embrace technology while preserving creativity and independent thought.

We will celebrate intelligence while developing character.

We will recognize achievement while teaching children that failure can be part of discovery.

And we will help our students understand that education is not merely about getting into the right school or earning the right degree.

It is about becoming a person capable of thinking, creating, contributing, and leading.

“Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” — Martin Luther King Jr.

I invite your family to join us in building something special.

Together, we can help children discover not simply how smart they are, but how much they are capable of becoming.

With warmest regards,

Katy Doan

Founder, CEO & Principal

USA Gifted JIVY League Academy