Growing up in St. Augustine, Mary Stephenson looked up to her aunt, who served in the Army Reserves.
“I thought that seemed really cool, and it was inspiring,” she said. “And I thought, ‘When I get older, I’d like to join the military at some point.’”
Stephenson graduated high school, received her bachelor’s degree from Florida State University in 2008 and a master’s degree from Palm Beach Atlantic in 2012 before she enlisted in the Air Force Reserves.
Military Life
After she enlisted, Stephenson was shipped off to basic training. Basic was an eye-opening experience where she learned valuable lessons that serve her well today as a business owner.
“It definitely taught me and helped me grow as a person,” she said. “Going through basic training and all of that. It taught me resilience and perseverance.”
She was part of the 482 Security Forces Squadron at the Homestead Air Reserve Base in South Florida.
“While I was there, I provided counseling and advice to personnel and dependents from all Air Force departments regarding their career, job specialties, promotions, relocations, retirement, training programs and any other related issues,” she said. “I collaborated with other personnel, remained on call for training and was responsible for the security forces unit attendance in training and deployment.”
Stephenson spent two years there before she got married and moved to Middletown, N.Y. while her husband attended school. For over a year, she flew back to attend her drills in Homestead. But that grew difficult and expensive. As a reservist, her travel wasn’t a covered expense. Eventually, they moved back to Florida to be closer to her family.
She left the service in 2016 as a senior airman.
Finding Kumon
Stephenson didn’t become a Kumon Instructor immediately after her service. First, she obtained a scholarship to pursue her doctoral degree during the pandemic in 2020.
And while she wasn’t actively pursuing becoming a small business owner, she had experience with Kumon as a child.
While growing up in St. Augustine, Florida, there wasn’t a center near her to attend. So, her mother ended up driving her and her younger brother north to Ponte Vedra to attend their classes.
“I was a Kumon Student a long time ago,” Stephenson said. “I studied in the education field, and I remembered my experience as a Kumon Student. I didn’t realize at the time how the Kumon Method gave me a positive impact in my education journey.”
With a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a minor in business, a master’s in school counseling, she was already prepared academically to become a Kumon Instructor. But she also received a doctorate degree in leadership and management in education.
“After Air Force Reserves, I thought, ‘Maybe the community that we end up moving to, maybe one of them can benefit from the Kumon Method.’ I wanted to bring that to our community.”
Since opening her Jacksonville, Florida, center early in 2024, she has found success in instructing the students who have enrolled and helping parents understand the importance of what Kumon offers.
“My students have progressed so much from where they started to where they are now,” she said. “It really inspires me. The Kumon Method is all about learning for the long haul. It’s not a quick fix, and it takes time to get where the student wants to be. It’s not only about math and reading, but it establishes study habits.”
Veterans like Stephenson are prevalent throughout the franchising industry. The skills military veterans gain while in the service are a valued asset to the business world. According to the International Franchise Association’s (IFA’s) VetFran program, 14 percent of U.S. franchise owners are veterans.
In addition to extensive training and support, those who have served in the military can take advantage of Kumon’s veteran incentive program, which provides $10,000 in extra incentives for U.S. veterans who qualify.