Leading Ladies - Michele and Charlotte

Summary

In this episode of the Leading Ladies podcast from Walsh College, hosts Charlotte and Michelle, founders of XY Academy in Malaysia, share their educational and entrepreneurial journey. They discuss their passion for teaching, the establishment of their online school, and their commitment to providing quality education with confidence. They also talk about their vision for growth, the importance of accreditation, and their innovative approach to learning that includes social Fridays. The sisters encourage listeners to support their mission by sponsoring a child or contributing to their school's development.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Charlotte and Michelle, sisters and co-founders of GY Academy, share their entrepreneurial journey on the 'Leading Ladies Podcast' at Walsh College.
• 📚 GY Academy is an online school in Malaysia that offers a British curriculum from year 1 to year 11, aiming to provide a safe haven for students to learn and grow.
• 🕊️ The name 'GY' symbolizes providence, and the school's logo incorporates Christian aspects, reflecting the founders' beliefs and values.
• 👩‍🏫 Charlotte's passion for teaching began at a young age, and she was inspired by a professor named Dr. CTI to become a better teacher.
• 🌐 GY Academy was founded with the support of a parent, Miss Susan, who is now a business partner and COO, while Charlotte serves as CEO and Michelle as the Chief Academic Officer.
• 🔗 The academy aims to affiliate with universities globally to provide students with a platform for growth and to broaden their international mindset.
• 🏆 Michelle's passion for teaching emerged later in life, focusing on special needs education, and she finds great achievement in helping students succeed.
• 🌟 The school's motto is 'education with confidence,' emphasizing the importance of students enjoying their learning process and preparing them for the real world.
• 🤝 The founders and Miss Susan have complementary skills and perspectives, creating a strong team dynamic that has contributed to the school's success.
• 🌐 GY Academy has a global reach, with students from various countries including Brunei, Singapore, Philippines, South Africa, and Myanmar.
• 💼 The school operates on a one-fee structure, aiming to make quality education accessible and affordable for all students, regardless of their financial situation.

Q & A

Who are Charlotte and Michelle, and what is their entrepreneurial journey about?

Charlotte and Michelle are sisters who have embarked on an entrepreneurial journey by founding an online school called XY Academy in Malaysia. Their journey also includes studying in the United States and being part of the MBA program at another university.

What inspired Charlotte to pursue a career in education?

Charlotte was inspired to pursue a career in education from a young age, since the age of six, she loved being a teacher. Her passion grew when she was the first student in her university to sign up for a teaching course, and a professor named Dr. CTI further inspired her to become a good teacher.

What was the catalyst for founding XY Academy?

The catalyst for founding XY Academy was a parent who approached Charlotte with a plan for starting a school after Charlotte left her previous workplace. The parent, who later became their business partner, Miss Susan, helped Charlotte and Michelle to develop a plan and within three months, they started XY Academy.

What does 'XY' in XY Academy stand for?

In XY Academy, 'XY' stands for 'providence'. The name was chosen after prayer and with the intention of creating a safe haven for students.

What is Michelle's role in XY Academy, and how did she develop her passion for teaching?

Michelle serves as the Chief Academic Officer in XY Academy. Her passion for teaching started later in life when she was in college and got involved in special needs education, realizing that teaching was her vocation.

What is the educational approach of XY Academy?

XY Academy follows a British curriculum and offers education from year 1 to year 11. They focus on creating a safe environment where students can learn, find confidence, and grow to eventually start their own careers in fields they are passionate about.

How does XY Academy incorporate social activities into their online learning structure?

XY Academy has a unique structure where they allocate one day a week, Fridays, for social activities. These activities include educational sports, leadership development, and other experiences like horseback riding and money management exercises.

What is the significance of the 'sponsor a child' program in XY Academy?

The 'sponsor a child' program is significant as it allows individuals to financially support students who may be struggling, ensuring that they receive a quality education regardless of their economic background.

What is the vision for growth at XY Academy?

The vision for growth at XY Academy is to expand globally while maintaining a one-fee structure for students from K to 12. They aim to keep classes small, with no more than 10 students per class, and are open to branching out as needed.

How does the time difference between Malaysia and the United States affect the operations of XY Academy?

The 12-hour time difference between Malaysia and the United States requires the founders to manage their schedules effectively. They sometimes need to wake up at odd hours to interact with their team and ensure the school thrives.

What is the role of Miss Susan in XY Academy, and how did her perspective contribute to the school's structure?

Miss Susan is the COO of XY Academy and brings a parent's perspective to the school's structure. Her plan and the way she built the school gave Charlotte and Michelle confidence in the idea, and her technological skills and understanding of the parent side helped shape the school's operations.

Outlines

00:00

🤝 Welcoming the Founders of XY Academy

The podcast begins with an introduction to the guests, Charlotte and Michelle, who are the founders of XY Academy in Malaysia. They are also sisters and are currently studying in the United States. The host expresses excitement about discussing their entrepreneurial journey in education, their experience studying abroad, and the establishment of their school. Charlotte and Michelle share their enthusiasm for the discussion and provide a brief overview of their educational background and the inspiration behind founding XY Academy.

05:00

🏫 The Vision and Establishment of XY Academy

Charlotte shares her lifelong passion for teaching, which began at a young age and continued through her university years in Malaysia. She was inspired by a professor and her desire to provide quality education led her to work in international schools for 12 years. The idea for XY Academy came from a parent who suggested starting a school, which initially seemed daunting but eventually became a reality with a well-thought-out plan. Within three months, they established XY Academy with Charlotte as the CEO, Michelle as the Chief Academic Officer, and Susan as the COO. The school started on July 1st, 2022, with a mission to provide a good education and help students regain confidence, especially after the pandemic.

10:01

🌐 Online Education and Social Development at XY Academy

Michelle explains the structure of XY Academy, which is an online school following the British curriculum for students from year 1 to year 11. The school offers a unique schedule with four days of academic learning and a 'Social Friday' dedicated to activities like sports, leadership, and money management to foster well-rounded development. The school's fees are affordable, and it provides an opportunity for teachers to earn extra income while offering quality education to a diverse range of students from different countries. The founders emphasize the importance of instilling confidence in students and providing them with a supportive and engaging learning environment.

15:02

🤝 Collaborative Leadership and Team Dynamics at XY Academy

The paragraph discusses the natural division of roles within the XY Academy team. Charlotte, with her experience in leading and administration, became the CEO, while Michelle, who has a passion for academics, took on the role of Chief Academic Officer. Susan, their COO, brought a parent's perspective and technical skills to the team. The collaboration between the three, with their different backgrounds and expertise, created a strong foundation for the school. They also mention the challenges of managing the school while studying in the United States, overcoming time zone differences and balancing their responsibilities.

20:04

🌟 Growth, Sponsorship, and the Future of XY Academy

The founders share their vision for XY Academy's growth, aiming for small class sizes and potentially expanding to accommodate more students and teachers as needed. They discuss their one-fee structure to make education accessible to financially struggling families and introduce a 'Sponsor a Child' program to support students. They also mention the school's accreditation process and their aspirations to affiliate with universities globally. The paragraph highlights the school's commitment to providing a holistic education and the founders' dedication to their students' success.

25:06

💼 The Business Model and Educational Philosophy of XY Academy

In this paragraph, the focus shifts to the business aspect of XY Academy. The founders explain their decision to charge a flat fee for the entire duration of a student's education, emphasizing their priority on education over profit. They discuss the financial support they receive from sponsors and the importance of community involvement in the school's success. The founders also highlight their pursuit of MBAs to serve as role models for their students, demonstrating the value they place on continuous learning and growth.

🙏 Closing Thoughts and Call to Action

The podcast concludes with a call to action for the audience to support XY Academy through prayer and financial contributions. The founders express gratitude for the opportunity to share their story and discuss the impact of their educational mission. They invite listeners to engage with the school, whether through donations or sponsorships, and emphasize the long-term benefits of investing in education.

Keywords

💡Entrepreneurial Journey

The term 'Entrepreneurial Journey' refers to the process of starting a business and the experiences, challenges, and successes that come with it. In the video, Charlotte and Michelle share their entrepreneurial journey of founding XY Academy in Malaysia, which is a significant part of the podcast's theme focusing on their business endeavors and educational vision.

💡Educational Empowerment

Educational Empowerment is about giving individuals the knowledge, skills, and confidence to succeed in life through education. The video's theme revolves around the sisters' commitment to education as a tool for empowerment, as they discuss their passion for teaching and their efforts to provide a quality education to their students at XY Academy.

💡XY Academy

XY Academy is the name of the school founded by Charlotte and Michelle in Malaysia. It represents their venture into education and serves as a central topic in the podcast, highlighting their mission to provide a safe and nurturing educational environment for their students.

💡Online School

An 'Online School' is an educational institution that conducts its classes and learning activities over the internet rather than in a physical classroom. The script mentions that XY Academy is an online school, which allows it to reach students globally and provides flexibility for both teachers and students.

💡Accreditation

Accreditation in education refers to the official recognition given to an educational institution that meets specific standards. In the video, Michelle discusses the pursuit of accreditation for XY Academy, aiming to raise the school's standards and enable it to market itself internationally.

💡Homeschooling

Homeschooling is a form of education where students are schooled at home instead of attending a traditional school. The video script highlights that XY Academy offers an online homeschooling alternative in Malaysia, which is not as common as attending public or international schools.

💡Social Fridays

Social Fridays is a concept introduced by XY Academy where students engage in non-academic activities such as sports, leadership training, and other social interactions on Fridays. This concept is part of the school's approach to holistic education, as mentioned in the script where they organize activities like horseback riding and money management exercises.

💡Confidence in Education

The phrase 'Confidence in Education' encapsulates the idea of fostering a positive self-image and belief in one's abilities through learning. The video emphasizes the sisters' goal to rebuild students' confidence, which was affected by the pandemic, and to create an environment where education is both valued and enjoyed.

💡One Fee Structure

A 'One Fee Structure' is a payment model where students pay a single fee that covers their entire education from enrollment to graduation. The script explains that XY Academy uses this model to make education more affordable and accessible for parents, regardless of the number of years the child attends.

💡Sponsorship Program

A 'Sponsorship Program' is a system where individuals or organizations provide financial support to cover the costs of a student's education. In the video, the sisters mention the establishment of a sponsorship program at XY Academy, which allows community members to contribute to a student's education, reflecting the school's commitment to making education accessible to all.

💡Global Reach

Global Reach refers to the ability to extend one's influence, services, or products across the world. The script discusses the sisters' vision for XY Academy to grow beyond Malaysia and attract students from various countries, emphasizing the school's international aspirations and the diversity of its student body.

Highlights

Charlotte and Michelle, founders of XY Academy in Malaysia, discuss their educational and entrepreneurial journey on the Leading Ladies Podcast at Walsh College.

Charlotte's lifelong passion for teaching began at a young age and continued through her studies and work in international schools in Malaysia.

XY Academy was founded within three months of planning with the support of a parent who became a business partner and is now the COO, Miss Susan.

The name 'XY Academy' signifies providence and reflects the founders' Christian beliefs incorporated into the school's logo and mission.

The academy aims to create a safe haven for students to learn, build confidence, and grow into individuals who can pursue their own careers.

Michelle's passion for teaching developed later in life through special needs education, where she found her vocation.

XY Academy operates as an online school using the British curriculum, serving students from Year 1 to Year 11.

The school is pursuing accreditation from Cambridge to raise its standards and market the school internationally.

Charlotte and Michelle emphasize the importance of confidence in education, especially after the impact of COVID-19 on students' confidence.

XY Academy has a unique structure with four days of academic learning and one social day, focusing on activities like horseback riding and money management.

The school's success stories include students like Farah Alani, who transformed from a shy newcomer to a participative leader and top student.

The founders' roles in the school naturally fell into place, with Charlotte as CEO, Michelle as Chief Academic Officer, and Miss Susan handling operations.

XY Academy has a diverse student body, including students from Brunei, Singapore, Philippines, South Africa, and other countries.

The school has a one-fee structure, offering affordable education and financial assistance through sponsorships and donations.

Charlotte and Michelle are pursuing MBAs to serve as examples to their students and demonstrate the value of education.

The podcast concludes with a call for support and prayers for the growth of XY Academy, and an invitation for listeners to contribute to the school's mission.

Transcripts

well welcome to another wonderful

episode of our leading ladies podcast

here at Walsh college today I am so

excited to be joined by two incredible

leading ladies Charlotte and Michelle

Peter and they're going to talk about

their business entrepreneurial and

educational Journey not only in coming

to United States to study but also you

both have founded an incredible School

in Malaysia XY Academy and I cannot wait

to talk more about that so welcome

Charlotte welcome Michelle thank you for

joining us well thank you for having us

here we really appreciate it yeah I mean

we were so excited to connect about this

I know you visited Walsh College a

couple months ago now it doesn't even

seem like that but if you could you know

we'll start with you Charlotte and then

we'll go to Michelle tell us a little

bit about your background what brought

you to the United States what brought

you to study in the MBA program I know

you're studying at another University

for that uh but that's all right that's

great and we love business and then what

kind of compelled you to found the

academy yeah so um thank you Susie it's

actually so exciting to be here

um basically I'll start from my journey

of why I chose education ever since the

age of six I actually loved being a

teacher and that has been a grown

passion like we used to babysit and then

my mom would have this kid over and I'll

be like acting like a teacher so love

this when I joined my University back

home in Malaysia I was actually the

first student in the whole university to

sign up for a teaching course and my dad

asked me this question which I'll never

never forget are you sure this is what

you want to do and I was like yes sign

me up and now I know that that is the

growing program in the University so

ever since then this particular uh

professor of mine her name is Dr CTI she

was the one who inspired me to be a very

like good teacher because it's very rare

to find nowadays and I started working

in international schools in Malaysia for

the past 12 years now and what Drew me

to start G Academy is actually my

previous workplace where I was working

um I decided to leave and that's when we

decided to come to the United States but

before coming here I felt like I needed

to do something you know how like when

you leave a job you feel like oh I need

to do more yes so that was me in that

state and this parent approached me and

she was like Miss Charlotte why don't

you start a school and my first thought

was like are you crazy it's not easy to

start a school just like that and she

just like I will help help you through

everything I will be there with you um

would you like to hear my plan I was

like okay I mean it's not that bad to

hear a plan and she put up this plan

where um how she wanted her kids to have

good education and how we can start this

together and when I saw the plan I was

like this could actually work and then I

got Michelle on board and I we like Okay

let's listen to this uh lady what she

wants to say and we can see from there

whether we want to start a school and

within 3 months of that planning we

started gy Academy oh my goodness and

that parent is now actually our business

partner her name is Miss Susan un so

miss Susan myself as the CEO and founder

of G Miss Susan is our coo and Michelle

is our Chief academic officer and with

that gy Academy started on July 1st 2022

oh my God okay wait I just have to

highlight so many cool things first of

all you're both are sisters so I mean

that people couldn't tell I wanted to

mention that if anybody's listening and

not watching so I love that that you had

that vision and you were also so open

because Charlotte not everybody would

have people might have said well that's

just crazy I can't start a school but

then someone said wait I have a plan and

you thought well it doesn't hurt to

listen to a plan and I can't tell you

how many women entrepreneurs and

especially leaders I've heard say that

is usually the first step is the

openness to listen to the plan so I just

really want to highlight and commend you

on that and I love your lifelong passion

for teaching you kind of knew right off

the bat oh this is what's for me I want

to be a teacher and education and that's

something we share here at Walsh College

you know education is such an empowering

vehicle of change not only in a person's

life but in a family life in society and

community and for the world and a lot of

what you're doing is really helping to

light up that world so I just want to

commend you on that that's great thank

you so much yeah and then so let's go to

you Michelle so now you are the chief

academic officer so tell us a little bit

about even the name what does gy mean

what is gy Academy and then what is your

role and how does that play into as you

had talked about some of the

accreditation you're pursuing oh that's

wonderful uh thank you for actually

having us here so gy actually means

providence uh we actually to be honest

prayed into the name before taking it

that was very important to us and even

the logo that we chose we had

Incorporated some of the um Christian

aspects to it to make it more uh like

what we believe gy should be and in a

sense it worked out very well for us

because what we wanted to do was to

create a safe haven for students When

Miss Susan approached us for the school

she actually approached us with a lot of

concerns about how schools were uh being

how teachers were teaching in school SCH

in Malaysia and therefore we wanted to

create a place where students were able

to not just learn but also find

confidence in themselves as individuals

and also grow to be individuals that can

eventually start their own career in

what they absolutely want to want to do

and believe in and so that's why we

started gy and may I also start by

saying my own passion for teaching I

want to hear where that came from for

sure yes so that actually started unlike

my sister Charlotte mine didn't start at

a young age mine actually started way

later when I was in college and um I

actually got into special needs

education and I felt in my heart right

away that that's where I was supposed to

be and um as I was doing it you know how

you feel as if um teaching can be your

vocation that was what it was like for

me teaching was my vocation and when I

got into it I just naturally had this

passion towards like wanting to help

students grow like my greatest

achievement and I know my sister shares

this too our deepest achievement is when

we see our students succeed oh and

therefore like so good I know and

therefore when we started gy and

watching our students go into it and

graduate from it we are so proud of that

um I I'm just going to Echo a speech

from my sister's uh graduation basically

gave the graduation speech and one of

the things she said was my uh your

success is my pride oh I love that you

said that oh that's so great and that's

how both of us feel about our

students and so what we want to do right

now in terms of you asked me about the

accreditation process was we want to

take our school a step further because

it's not just about leaving it in

Malaysia granted yes it is an online

school gy academy is an online SCH

school and what ages just help us

understand like what when can a students

start there and how far do they go so

okay so I'm going to uh say that we use

the British curriculum so it starts off

with year 1 and it ends at year 11 and

that's when students graduate and go to

college oh perfect so year one how old

are they uh year one they could be about

five to six years okay so it's like

kindergarten in the US so year one to 12

right great wow so it's a full Continuum

oh my goodness exactly so they have high

school with us as well and then they

graduate and uh we help them actually

look for the best colleges wonderful oh

my goodness so that's why we've been

working really hard to um affiliate

ourselves with different universities

not just in Malaysia but here as well so

that students can actually be open to um

a good platform for growth so right now

we're hoping that they can broaden their

minds our students to look for more uh

schools outside the country so that they

can you know be more internationally

minded that's what and it helps grow

your mission too in the world I mean

it's wonderful that you have this in

Malaysia and you're providing this

environment for the students and it's

great that it's as long as it is because

it really gives you time with them to

help with their whole person development

but you're also setting them up for

success to go out into the world to make

a difference and you know you mentioned

the Christian faith-based component of

that and that's scriptural too is we go

out into the world to make an impact and

to contribute and I think that's amazing

absolutely yeah and that's what we've

been hoping for and in terms of the

accreditation process we are actually

hoping we're trying to plan our school

in such a way and create protocols in

such a way that we are able to reach out

Cambridge so that they can come and

assess our school and uh see how well we

are growing as a school and once we get

that accrediation it raises our school

to a different standard yes so that we

are able to Market our school

internationally yeah you want to talk

more just to add on that like Michelle

explained it's actually an online school

and uh we started this online home

school so in Malaysia home school was

actually not a big thing like people

would actually go to public schools or

international schools but international

schools can be very expensive it can go

up to 20,000 per student sure cuz they

have to go there and board and live okay

ex even without boarding and living like

the fees itself is very expensive

depending on the name of the school so

what we did was we wanted to help

parents like afford good education at

the same time like help teachers earn an

extra income so our school uh being

online teachers just need to be

part-time they don't even need to be

full-time so like after they can set

their own timetable with the class so we

have a structured timetable for the

students and teachers but what I think

it's a really good concept we came up

with is that gy has four days of

academic learning and one day of social

Friday

oo I like this so Friday is social yeah

there's no academic learning however we

incorporate like

educational Sports and uh kind of

leadership as well in our Friday

activities like what the students did

last week they been horseback riding you

know getting their fear out of like

riding a horse or we did surfing

simulators and I think one of my most

favorite one was when they did Money

Management we kind of took them to a

mall we gave them each

$25 and we told them okay within this

$25 you have to buy a lunch you have to

buy one thing that you need for an

online school oh and just imagine you

need uh money for transport and you

could see like how even the younger ones

like really valued money because all

this while you know oh my Daddy's paying

for this you know they didn't understand

the value of it but you can see them

grow and I just would like to talk about

this one particular student who really

like

I'm so proud of her she's actually

graduating this year okay yeah her name

is Farah Alani and she's a student who

joined gy where she was so nervous she

didn't want to talk to anyone she didn't

want to speak to anyone and she was just

in the Shell but ever since she joined

our class the trial class I asked her

mom are you sure you're talking about

the same girl cuz she's participative

she's like being a leader so what we did

was was we took that opportunity

we made her the vice president of the

student council committee wow and she

did her role so well she started getting

A's in class she was like the top

student in the class and I'm so proud of

her and I just heard like her mom

actually studied in Boston University so

it's like so inspiring to see how these

students grow and like Michelle said my

my motto for the kids is your success is

my pride and the school's motto and

vision is actually education with

confidence

because students lost their confidence

during Co especially and we wanted to

build back that confidence in education

where to let them know that it is

important like you need education but at

the same time enjoy what you're learning

it's not about studying and like

vomiting during exams you know but like

loving what you study so that when you

go out into the real world you know what

you want to do and loving the process of

it so many things you said I want to

highlight Char okay so what I love about

this is you saw a need a gap in the

marketplace to say okay we don't really

have a strong homeschooling Network in

Malaysia and we want to instill that

confidence in students that after covid

everybody kind of was like well what's

going on do I go back to school what's

the value of school am I safe in school

what do I have to remember you filled

that Niche so in a lot of ways you know

the mission is always primary right the

mission Money Follows Mission but you

also designed a business model that fits

a niche and I think that's what's really

important as well is you kind of went in

and said okay for those that want to do

homeschooling I also like the Friday

that you have where it's basically like

okay if you're in school you might get

activities Recreation co-curricular

throughout your week but if you're in a

learning environment that's more online

like that you want to build that in at

the end of the week and I think that's

just a great way to educate the whole

person MH so good and just to add to

that I think we can attribute a lot of

that to our um coo Miss Susan because

the plan that she came up with and the

structure that she created

built the School in such a way that that

we actually felt confident with it we

confident with the idea and then we both

just built upon that idea that she had

created I see it was a wonderful

stepping stone for us exactly and just

to add to that like we saw it in

different perspective because she's a

parent and we are teachers so we kind of

merged together and to see a parents

perspective and then she understood like

the teacher side how can we help and the

parents like how can she help so it kind

of like really like the three of us

really speaking a perfect team a perfect

like alignment of having different

perspectives and then playing different

roles and seeing each other's

complimentarity which I know when you

came and we did our leadership session

together you you know we talked about

the importance of having members on your

team that see different components than

you do even though at times it can make

it challenging because folks will want

to Lobby a little bit for their areas

but it allows you to really develop a

well-rounded team so without even maybe

you knew this without really knowing it

both of you exhibited such strong lead

leadership in seeing that wow she can

bring something to the table and I even

like how did you decide on your roles

was it kind of natural for you to know

who was going to do what did you you

know roll dice how did you decide well I

think we naturally fell fell into it uh

Charlotte had experience with more of

leading a large team and the

administrative side of things so it was

natural for her to take the role of CEO

and then I genuinely like writing and

reading and the academic side of things

it just fell into that I became the uh

academics officer of the team and then

with Miss Susan she was really good with

the techn technological side of things

and also you know giving us the parents'

perspective I think it just fell into

place for her that she had to take on

the operation site it was just so

beautiful that all of us just came

together I love that and what made us

like like what made gy even better it's

because it's online we got the

opportunity to come to the United States

ask how are you running this school

which I know was online and you're also

in school yourselves right and I think

you're getting married next year to both

of you like oh my gosh there's a lot of

life going on Yeah so basically it's um

like we didn't even have any conflict

with like Miss Susan like she was like

yeah I can handle the ones here you

handle online and being online I still

get to like interact with the parents

like we still conduct like um parent

teacher meeting every June and December

like we we would do that um the only

thing that we can't do is the social

Fridays because it's physical but other

than that I think we're still leading

our team I think the only thing is that

Malaysia's 12 hours difference so

sometimes and it's 12 hours back from

the US sorry forward yeah so what time

is it there now so we're around 11:30

here now it's 11:38 p.m. there p.m. oh I

see so you just have to know your

morning and they evening yeah so and the

12 hours does help CU it's 11:30 here

11:30 there but um yeah sometimes we do

need to wake up at odd hours but because

we love what we do we don't want the

school to like um not Thrive yeah and

it's really helpful that the three of us

are on the same page nice yeah so I

think that's what's helpful and allowing

us to study here in the United States

now how many students are in gy Al

together right now we have uh currently

about 30 students wow and we have have

um 17 teachers with three Administration

stuff my goodness and are you teaching

actively now too do you have a class you

teach well actually we don't teach but

we are training teachers so that would

be my role that uh training of the

teachers and then uh Charlotte and Miss

Susan does uh the open day as well we

have open days every single month for

new parents to come and see what our

school is like so uh those are the

things that we are doing and I think

it's a way

to and I would like to attribute that

more to Charlotte helping in this area

where uh we were all able to see how we

needed to step back also to let our team

grow on their own and at the same time

come in once in a while to like hey I

think we need training in this area here

I need I think you need a boost of

confidence in this area come how can I

help you here you know if you have an

issue come and talk to me I love that

you know and so that's why the teachers

feel safe with us sure now where do you

recruit your teachers from like do they

are they in Malaysia they all over so we

have most of our teachers are in

Malaysia but from different states so

being virtual you can actually be like

everywhere and another thing about like

our students not all of them are

Malaysians we have students from brunai

Singapore Philippines South Africa like

it's it's around the world so that's why

we want to like reach out everywhere so

you could be Global I mean it doesn't

which is what I think is amazing that's

the vision so tell me a little bit about

the vision for XY like how big do you

want to get how big can you get what is

your growth plan plan and then how can

we help how can other folks help if

they're hearing this saying wow this is

filling such an incredible educational

Niche internationally and for the globe

so what is the vision for growth well I

can speak on a smaller scale first um we

ideally we want uh 10 students a class

and no more than that but we are willing

to Branch out to have uh different

classes for each year group so it can

grow to however many uh students we get

sure and however however many teachers

we need to to hire so in that sense it

can be as large as it needs to be

because it's online so cool speaking on

the business aspect of it um definitely

we would like to see gy grow globally

and what we do is um we do have some uh

parents who are like financially

struggling so we kind of like the reason

why we started a one fee structure

meaning from the time they are in K to

12 it's just one fee until they graduate

no matter how many they take so I mean

it is a toll on the management side but

you know like what I told my team is

that we want to see our students grow

and eventually money will grow from

there but the main thing is getting

these kids education so we did have

students who like recently just joined

he's from Myanmar and they had nothing

they just work in a restaurant like uh

cleaning plates or stuff like that and

this one guy just approach approach them

and he approached me later on said I

want to sponsor this kid and I was so

touch and I was like I'll sponsor his

uniform you know so love it's like we

have people who are sponsoring a child

so that's why we started a sponsor a

child program and we do have uh one

person from Dubai who's also like every

year he donates to our school wow and uh

that kind of helps us as well like uh

financially because every social Friday

um it's covered by G Academy yeah I was

going to ask who pays for these AC

incredible activities but it's G Academy

covers everything G Academy covers the

books so we kind of cover everything so

uh

1500 it's not enough to cover a lot but

God works in mysterious ways like we

have never run out of

money and we have been giving them the

best activities because we want them to

grow and I think that is the vision and

like the growth of G is to see people

helping children who I need or parents

who I need because they do want good

education so why stop that yeah and you

know what I love about this so you do

have opportunities for people for like

scholarships or sponsorships that might

want to go on your website and we'll put

a link to the XY Academy website they

can donate they can give that would be

great to do so if you love this and

you're listening and thinking I want to

support this this is a great way to do

it and then also I love how you're

cultiv you're almost cultivating your

future supporters it's not the intent

per se but when your students go out and

they're able to earn good jobs start

companies really earn some money they're

going to remember the time they had at

gy and they're going to want to pay it

forward and I think that's what's so

beautiful about like sponsoring a

student in that sense feeling like wow

I'm not just giving money I'm actually

making a difference in someone's life

and education pays lifelong generational

dividends you know a degree of value can

never be taken away a degree that you

earn and I think that's such a beautiful

thing so I definitely want to encourage

folks to support the work that you're

doing I mean it's so unique we should

have more ladies out there doing things

like this because you're also models of

confidence as well for the students male

and female you're modeling what it's

like to have education with confidence

the fact that you're both getting your

education and likely going to continue

to that also demonstrates the commitment

as well so that's another thing I think

is important is the parents and the

students see that you both value

education you buy into that mission and

then they come as well yeah and that's

actually very true of what you said

because the parents actually saw us on

how we want to grow the school and they

confidently like registered their

children right and yeah and that's the

most beautiful thing for me especially

because that's all I ever wanted we

actually wanted to start a school there

are five of us siblings we actually

wanted to start a school on our own and

I guess two of the siblings did but you

know I you know it's so funny how we

talk about what we put out into the

universe and you almost had this idea

and this Vision even when you were very

young your superpower was teaching and

you love reading and writing and

research and it just comes to fruition

for that so I think that's great wow I

think one thing uh we as teachers you

know we we always say when we are

presenting something to a new parent for

our school to sell our school we we tell

them that first and foremost we are

Educators more than business persons

because what we want to do is to let

them know that we care about their

children's education because that's the

most important thing and that's why

Charlotte and I are also doing our MBA

we want to be an example to our students

and let them know hey you can do that

too yeah and so thank God we have a

platform to do that at Concordia

University and hopefully you know our

students will be inspired to grow more

and to um see that they can do it too

yeah and they can do it here that's the

other thing is they can to United States

for the education they start with gy but

then you actually are developing the

Partnerships I know we're in about

developing one with Walsh so that

students can come here and be able to

study and it's just such a rich

Community around Walsh too Oakland

County so I think that's really

important like diverse and Rich and just

in culture and tradition I think that's

so important so any parting words ladies

that you want to leave with the audience

about XY or about how they can help or

what you'd ask of all of

us um I guess would you to go on that

one thing I would definitely say is pray

for the growth of the school yes that's

the main thing I would say and also if

you can help in the smallest way I I

forgot to mention the 1500 is actually

in dring it okay but in dollars is 200 a

month 200 a month wow and that that goes

that far wow go see that's even a better

deal right for not that you're looking

for a deal if you're trying

$200 uh to help a child can you imagine

being able to say that you're actually

helping someone's education at this

level and to I mean that's incredible so

yeah we'll definitely put some links of

how they can get involved to both of you

but thank you so much Charlotte thank

you so much Michelle it was a delight to

have you on and they are definitely

leading ladies especially in education

and empowering others so thank you so

much for joining us on another leading

ladies podcast from Walsh College