Reinvention After Cancer: Broomfield Business Woman Buys Sylvan Learning Center

By Joce Blake
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Thanks to Christine Rector, Arvada resident and Broomfield business owner, another Colorado business remained open. She decided to celebrate her survival of breast cancer by becoming the new owner of Broomfield's Sylvan Learning. After Christine's son told her it was going to close, she knew she wanted to save it. Christine told 1851 Franchise, “My son, Chris, is a math and science tutor for Sylvan in Broomfield. He came to me distressed, telling me the Sylvan location was planning on closing and he was going to be losing his job. Over the years, I’ve grown a passion for learning and watching others grow. I couldn’t sit back and watch such a great resource close its doors.” She wanted nothing more than to continue providing the community with Sylvan’s outstanding programs.

Christine's love for helping others isn’t a new advancement. For eight years, she served as the Assistant Director of the Family Ministry at Broomfield United Methodist Church and has had a passion for early childhood education. The Colorado resident recalls, “I wanted the children to enjoy learning and discover that learning about God is FUN. It was here that I discovered a passion for helping and teaching children. I started to dress up as characters, added a puppet or two and painted backgrounds that would enhance the Bible story.” She even parlayed the passion into her own storytelling event business, CTales, LLC. Christine provides an interactive learning experience for preschoolers by creating a curriculum that is aligned with what they are already learning. She fully commits to the educational adventure of CTales as she dresses up in costume and explores different worlds with her puppets and props. The breast cancer survivor shared, “Though storytelling is my love and passion I needed to earn a living. I added a day of wedding coordinator and event coordinator to help pay the bills. Then the opportunity of taking over the Sylvan learning center in Broomfield emerged.” Christine and the Sylvan enterprise are perfectly suited for one another.

Christine said, “I am constantly inspired by the kids. You don’t realize how much of an impact you have on a child at such a young age. I’ve always had a desire to help children reach their fullest potential and to succeed in life. When volunteering at my children's schools over the years, I had always loved mentoring and spending time with children – especially those who needed a little extra attention. Owning these businesses allows me to do just that.” She also painstakingly understands what it means to have educational resources; Christine struggled with ADD and a speech impediment as a child. From attending remedial classes to speech courses, she received the support she needed to finish high school, go on to college and study accounting technology and bookkeeping.

Because of her experiences, Christine believes Broomfield is the perfect market for the Sylvan brand so much so that she self-funded 100% of the startup costs equaling  $24,000. Christine told us that she projects that the revenue in the first year will be approximately $120,000. “With a good marketing plan and hard work, my goal is to expand the business in the future. Helping children attain academic success and ultimately be successful in life is, in my mind, one of the most worthwhile goals I can think of. I believe with all my heart that young children are the future of our country and education is the key,” Christine shared.

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