With a love for teaching, Audra Bohn knew that Sylvan Learning Center would be a wonderful fit for her career as an educator. A native to Oregon, Bohn and her family moved to Bend when she was 10. She left the area for a short time to earn a degree from Gordon College in Massachusetts, studying education and psychology before returning to Bend after graduating.
Once back in her hometown, Bohn met her husband Mitchell who she immediately bonded with as he also graduated in education from Oregon State. The two quickly fell in love, got married and decided to build a life together in Bend where they have lived now for more than 10 years.
Bohn first began working as an educator at Sylvan Learning about a decade ago. She was drawn to the supplemental education center because it allowed her to use her background to help devise specialized plans to fit each student’s learning needs. Bohn believes that Sylvan allows for instructors to leave a greater impact on the children who come to the center because of the focused lessons and personalized attention the teachers provide by working one-on-one with students.
Over the years, Bohn became a core part of the administrative team at one of the Bend Sylvan locations and began working alongside the owner at the time. She slowly became more invested in the tutoring center and wanted to further involve herself with the brand. Recently, the previous owner decided it was time for her to retire and that prompted Bohn to begin thinking about taking over ownership and embarking on a new business venture as the owner of the Bend Sylvan Learning Centers.
“When our previous owner decided her time with the center was up, I saw a perfect opportunity for myself to get more involved with Sylvan and take on a business ownership role,” said Bohn.
At the Bend Sylvan locations, students are offered a variety of both supplemental and enrichment learning programs including tutoring and college preparation classes such as SAT and ACT coaching.
Sylvan offers STEM programs called Sylvan EDGE for students interested in learning more about robotics, coding, math and engineering. STEM education has become more important over the years, allowing young children to explore their natural curiosity and develop through learning that can be applied to careers in the real world.
Through her new ownership, Bohn hopes to introduce STEM activities to as many students in the community as possible. The younger a student is exposed, the higher the chance that he or she will stay engaged with science, technology, engineering and math for decades to come.
“We offer demos every month in various classrooms around town to get our community’s students involved and excited about learning STEM,” said Bohn. “We are also participating in many STEM fairs and back-to-school nights so even more students can see what STEM is all about.”
Bohn plans to provide students preparing for college with more access to SAT and ACT opportunities.
“From scholarships for Bend area high school students to offering free diagnostic days to our local high schools, we are trying to help students get a better understanding of these college admission tests before the test date,” said Bohn. “We provide detailed score reports packed with tons of info to help families know what to expect and how to prepare for test day.”
Each year, both of the Sylvan locations in Bend partner with the local March of Dimes to raise money through several fundraisers. The Center donates to and sponsors more than 20 local schools and Bohn herself still volunteers frequently at Mountainview High School in Bend, the high school she attended as a teen.
Sylvan Learning Center on NW Crossing Dr
2863 NW Crossing Dr, Bend, 877-594-4349
Sylvan Learning of Bend on NE Studio Rd
2150 NE Studio Rd, Bend, 866-963-1308
