September 12, 2013 – [Source: Arundel Voice]Eighteen years ago, Mike and Lorraine Cardamone sought a change of careers from the corporate positions they both held, and the husband-and-wife team began to consider their options. “We went looking for something that could give back to the community,” explained Mike. “Huntington Learning Center was the one business we found that really did that for us.”
The couple opened a location of the tutoring and test-preparation study center in Crofton after much success with their one in Waldorf; the student population in west Anne Arundel County welcomed Huntington, and its services have made an indelible impression on young lives. “It’s been a real inspiration to work with these kids in the community and see the difference it makes,” Mike commented.
The Cardamones, who are hands-on in the operations of the business, hire certified teachers with the same state accreditation as the school system. After a very comprehensive academic analysis of each student, the Huntington team can pinpoint areas in school that are a weakness or a struggle and work to build not only those skills but also all-around confidence and self-esteem.Last fall, Huntington Learning Center relocated to a new facility in the Waugh Chapel Towne Centre, where tutors and educators have more space to meet with parents and students, conduct academic evaluations and work with kids at custom-designed study carrels arranged to provide optimum student-teacher interaction.
Tutors address reading comprehension, writing skills and mathematics, and strive to understand where specific problems started – for example, a student’s trouble with algebra might trace back to trouble with fractions, and by addressing the basic problem, Huntington tutors help youth work back up to the level where they need to be. “Students do well when you take that approach with them,” Mike observed.
In addition to helping students better grasp core and advanced academic subjects, Huntington tutors help teenage learners prepare for college-entry exams including SATs and ACTs. The Waugh Chapel location in particular, the Cardamones noted, has extremely high scores for improvement on the tests – on average, a growth of 300 points per student.
“Students feel good about themselves and feel confident,” Mike noted. “They go in [to take the test] motivated and know they can do well – and guess what? They will.” Based on the number of referrals, the Cardamones take pride in knowing Huntington has helped many young people. They even see many students whom they helped at the elementary level return at the high school level for SAT-prep tutoring. Both signs of success mean very much to the tutoring center’s caring owners.
“At the end of the day when I get home, I feel really good about what I accomplished with these kids – building confidence, helping them be successful,” explained Lorraine. “It’s all about the kids, and helping them accomplish what they need to. We’re very happy we chose Huntington. We’re making a difference in a kid’s life.”
Huntington Learning Center serves all students kindergarten through 12th grade. The facility is located at 1403 South Main Chapel Way, Suite 107, in the Waugh Chapel Towne Centre. For more information, call 410-451-0049 or visithuntingtonhelps.com.