We recently connected with Anjilee Ferguson and Sara Busalacchi and have shared our conversation below.
Anjilee and Sara, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Imposter syndrome was something that both co-founders, Anjilee and Sara have dealt with at different times in life. When co-founding Mountain Point Academy, we recognized they were in a new space with high-achieving academic intellects. Neither of them received degrees in education, so it was a struggle in the beginning for them to recognize we had a place at the table, taking into consideration the years of experience we already had in helping other online schools get up and running. We developed the needed expertise with hands-on training and continued to foster their own attitudes of lifelong learning, working to stretch themselves to build their portfolio and confidence in their unique skill sets that have helped Mountain Point Academy be successful today.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Mountain Point Academy (MPA) is an online private school serving grades 6-12, specializing in working with students either at home or in a residential treatment center (RTC) setting. Something we are known for is providing students with a 1:1 academic experience where they have a mentor to guide them week by week through their studies and help them as they work to achieve their goals.
Our team goes above and beyond to help with the personalization of each individual student’s academic plan. It’s not a one size fits all option for students, so we take the time to learn about what each student’s learning style is, and what their goals are, and work to customize a path that makes sense for that student. We care about the individual, not just the numbers.
Depending on student needs, we have several tiered schooling options ranging from part-time to full-time, less or more support, and options for additional tutoring. As one parent eloquently stated, “MPA’s virtual learning did not equate to disconnected learning” which is something we are very proud of. Our team works tirelessly each day to ensure that students have the best academic experience possible.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Resilience was a huge part of our journey in building MPA to where it is today. Setbacks, challenges, and roadblocks have been a consistent part of the process, so we have learned how to adapt and pivot when needed to solve the unique challenges that inevitably arise in business ownership. We have also learned the importance of relationships. So many of our amazing staff has come from networking opportunities and just showing up as authentic humans. Another important skill we learned along the way was the importance of setting healthy boundaries. It was so easy in the initial stages to want to do everything all at once to the point of burnout, but once we learned that it was okay to take breaks and the work would be there tomorrow, we became much more productive because we could approach things with fresh eyes. One of the best pieces of advice we received when starting the business was to outsource/delegate things as soon as you are able. There are a lot of energy sucks as a business owner, so recognizing what yours are and outsourcing to individuals who have that as a strength was a huge time, energy, and money saver for us in our journey.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
We would love to expand our network! Currently, we are looking to partner with individuals who have a podcast and think their audience would benefit from a discussion about the power of online learning or homeschooling. We’d also love to connect with homeschool families and groups to pick their brains about the most pertinent questions or pain points they have when it comes to homeschooling, unschooling, or school refusal. If you are reading and are interested in having a conversation with us, we’d love to hear from you! You can either email us at support@mountainpointacademy.com or message us on Instagram @mtnpointacademy to connect.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mountainpointacademy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtnpointacademy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mountainpointacademy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/40950537/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzed4rX-5Ym1xJyqvYqzK4A
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-thing-about-school/id1625480894
Image Credits
Laurence Boswell Photography
