Built from the ground up — by hand, and by heart.
Alley-Oop Learning Center wasn't purchased or franchised. It was built one relationship, one student, and one act of generosity at a time. This is how it began.
It started with a leap of faith.
In June of 2021, I finished my final school year teaching at Dearborn Park International Elementary School, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Walking away from a stable teaching career was one of the biggest decisions of my life. Teaching was everything I had worked toward.
I was also the first person in my family to ever start a business. My parents — especially my mom — came from a traditional Chinese immigrant background where stability and security meant everything. From their perspective, leaving a secure teaching position to open a tutoring center was an enormous risk, and I understand completely why they felt that way. They wanted what they believed was best for me. Beyond my parents, some people had quiet doubts, and others were more direct about them.
I don't hold any of that against anyone. Starting something new — something that didn't exist yet — is genuinely uncertain. But I believed deeply in what I was building, and the people who chose to stand beside me made all the difference.
“I didn't build this alone. Every step of the way, someone believed in me before I had proof — and that made all the difference.”
Alley-Oop was built by a community before it became one.
I want to be clear about something: I did not build Alley-Oop alone. Long before there was any proof it would work, people I love chose to believe in the vision — and in me. Their support wasn't just helpful. It made ALC possible.
Jessica, my wife
Believed in me from the very beginning and stood beside me through the hardest, most uncertain moments.
My parents
Even with their own reservations, they trusted me enough to let me rent the downstairs of their home to build the very first Alley-Oop. That act of generosity and love made everything else possible.
Gar & Thuan
Two close friends who believed in the vision before there was any proof it would succeed, generously donating chairs, laptops, and desktop computers so our very first students would have a place to learn.
Our first families
Nearly twenty students committed before we ever opened, trusting us on relationships alone. That trust is the foundation we still build on.
I built the first classroom with my own two hands.
That summer, I transformed the entire downstairs into a learning center. I had absolutely no renovation experience — I taught myself everything through research, YouTube videos, reading, and countless hours of trial and error.
- Removed the old carpet
- Installed vinyl flooring
- Remodeled the bathrooms
- Replaced the vanities
- Installed the toilets
- Learned plumbing
- Installed the lighting
- Painted every wall
- Built the furniture
I did nearly everything myself — because I believed so strongly in the vision.
Nearly twenty students were waiting before we opened.
By September of 2021, the learning center was ready. Before we ever officially opened, nearly twenty students had already committed to joining.
Almost all of them came through relationships I had built with families while teaching at Dearborn Park, along with referrals from close family friends. Not advertising — trust.
Growth built on trust, one family at a time.
From that small beginning, we have now served more than one hundred students — and nearly all of that growth has happened through word of mouth. That means more to me than any advertisement ever could, because it represents the trust families have placed in us.
I'm still learning — every single day.
Although we've grown into a team, I still spend countless hours learning new skills that move ALC forward. I've always believed that if something can make Alley-Oop better, it's worth learning.
We're still writing our story.
Our team is growing, and our mission keeps evolving. The same mindset that built the very first classroom continues to shape every decision we make.
This isn't a finished company history. It's only the beginning — and we'd love for you to be part of what comes next.
Come be part of the next chapter.
Every family's journey begins with a free assessment and conversation. We'd love to meet you and your student.