Learning Without Limits and Alithie Rock's Educational Revolution

In this conversation, Alithie Rock shares her journey as a busy parent and educator, discussing the challenges of balancing family life and professional responsibilities. She reveals her passion for education and her vision for the Elite Performance Prep Academy, a new educational model designed to meet the unique needs of students, particularly those involved in sports. 

Alithie emphasizes the importance of community, collaboration, and personalized learning, while also addressing the funding and accessibility of education. The discussion highlights the innovative approach to education that Alithie is championing, aiming to empower students and families in Davis County, Utah.

Takeaways

▶️ Alithie Rock balances multiple roles as a parent and educator.

▶️ The chaos of parenting can be overwhelming but rewarding.

▶️ Education should focus on helping kids thrive, not just survive.

▶️ Alithie's passion for teaching has been lifelong.

▶️ The Elite Performance Prep Academy aims to bridge gaps in education.

▶️ Community collaboration is essential for educational success.

▶️ Funding options exist to support alternative education models.

▶️ Personalized learning can significantly benefit students.

▶️ Smaller class sizes allow for more individualized attention.

▶️ The academy is set to open in September with limited enrollment.

Sound Bites

"I wanted to focus on helping our kids."

"How can I contribute?"

"I have always had a passion for teaching."

"We want to be the solution."

"There is a better way."

Connect with Alithie Rock and EPPA

https://www.instagram.com/elitelaytonutah

https://www.eliteperformanceprepacademy.com

Transcript

Alithie Rock (00:00.398)
I'm like, my god. I'm like, lord help me.

Rob Pene (00:00.608)
Yay yay! Welcome everybody! This is Lent season, we are saying our Hail Marys. Yeah, yeah yeah yeah. So Alithi Rock, it's nice to meet you. This is the podcast where I chat with busy professionals on what they're doing and how they're impacting their community. And in this case, there's a pretty neat story because you are impacting the community.

Alithie Rock (00:08.099)
Here we go, here we go Rob, let's do this.

Alithie Rock (00:15.949)
Nice to meet

Rob Pene (00:30.168)
through the youth and shooting for their future, right? In a very unique and kind of left field curve ball type of way. You're throwing a monkey wrench into the education system. And that's what I wanted to chat about is how did that come about? Where did the idea come from? And before we start, I'm gonna throw a monkey wrench into this too. I'm gonna ask you a question.

Alithie Rock (00:53.944)
Thank

Rob Pene (00:57.046)
and we call it our ignition question that will start the conversation and then go from there. So brace yourself. In the last 12 months, if you were to look at your year, the last 12 months, and turn it into a Netflix special.

Alithie Rock (01:03.086)
Okay,

Rob Pene (01:17.056)
What would be the movie and what would you call it?

Alithie Rock (01:21.02)
my gosh, I'm like, it's crickets. So I have four kids. And so I feel like, and we're in that phase of life right now where the kids are pretty much my life in regards to ruling the schedule with her. It's education, academics, extracurricular activities, church responsibilities. So my husband and I, our life has literally just been engulfed in taking care of the kids and making sure that they have what they need.

all the things, all the basic things, but in the same, in that same vein, it's like we're, I feel like it'd be called chaos, which is probably not the best thing, because it's like, we're in the trenches as parents, educators, professionals, whatever we're doing for our community, everybody has a lot on their plate, right? And so we're just juggling a lot. So I'm like, I don't know, like chaos jugglers. don't know what the next thing is. But it's like, that's also, I'm like, no, because at the same time,

Rob Pene (02:14.604)
Yeah, okay,

Alithie Rock (02:20.034)
We try to find balance and we try to find rhythm and we try to find what works for our family dynamic in regards to sports. So I have four kids. My youngest is seven and my oldest is 15. And then my husband's been working for the Department of Defense. He's an engineer and he's been doing his and he's so busy with his with his career. And so it's kind of like I'm just running. Holding on the fort at home, but I also work two part time gigs. I'm a coach. I love coaching. I coach volleyball for.

Both club and the school district are our local school here in Davis County and then ITA at the elementary school. So I it's literally just my sisters are always making fun of me because they're like girl you wear too many hats you are working like four different jobs got the kids running all over the place and it's just kind of like busybody but I've been trying this year to do my best to focus not so much on just being busy but being productive.

and setting a foundation for our kids so that they can, it's like, I'm such a scatterbrain, I'm like, squirrel, I have like eight different conversations going on in my head at any given time. But it's also like I wanted to focus on helping our kids, like the messages that we're sending to our kids as they're growing in their adolescence, sliding into their teenage years, I just.

I know this time is limited. know that it's very, that's the only thing that gives me like hope and courage and peace is like, yes, we're in the trenches. It's go, go, go, go, go in this phase of our life. But I have a small window with my babies. Like I have such a small window in regards to like my oldest will be 18 in three years. That's weird. And adults, and it's like, then they go off to college if they choose to serve a mission for the church. We're Christian and we love spreading.

Rob Pene (03:39.329)
No, no,

Alithie Rock (04:06.794)
gospel love and news everywhere. So if that's something that they choose to decide and then they have, you know, potential career options. So it's like all the things. So I don't have a name. I wish you would ask me that sooner. But I was like...

Rob Pene (04:16.232)
That's good. Yeah No, I like that I like that chaos rocksteady, yeah So you're launching a school

Alithie Rock (04:22.72)
Yes, yes.

Alithie Rock (04:28.558)
Yes, oh my gosh, okay, this whole thing came about in a myriad of different ways. I journal a lot, I like to journal, I like to go back and read my journals. And recently I went and read a journal entry that was written back in like 2015, literally 10 years ago, before my youngest was born. I was pregnant with my one who's 10 now. And I just remember thinking, I've always had a passion for teaching, I've always had a passion for coaching, I've just had a passion for education in general. I've always loved learning.

I loved school growing up. can legitimately name all of my grade school teachers, my favorite teachers from grade five, K through five, and even into high school. And so just remember writing in this particular journal entry, it's like, how can I contribute? How can I give back? What can I, I'm more than just a mom. I think also as moms, as parents in general, we get married, we start our family, we're in the rat race of life and all of the things, blessings, the ups and downs, the trials, the challenges.

Rob Pene (05:15.542)
Hmm.

Alithie Rock (05:26.19)
But along the way we kind of forget like who we are I forgot who I was in the sense that like I have the mom hat on and I am just I want to be mom but it's like there's more to like my kids like you guys know that I used to play college volleyball did you guys know that I also used to run a business did you know that I used to it's not like all about me but it's like in a sense you want to teach your kids like I'm more than just mom I'm more than just making you your breakfast lunch and dinner and doing your laundry cleaning the house I was kind of cool kids

Rob Pene (05:50.176)
You're actually cool. Yeah, you are actually cool.

Alithie Rock (05:55.886)
Anyways, and they're like, uh-huh, whatever, mom. I'm like, no, sigma. And I'm trying to learn all of the, and they're like, mom, please, please don't. I can't believe I'm in that phase right now. But in the journal entry, I just wrote in big, big letters, connector. That was the word that was resonating with me 10 years ago, is a connector. And as the years have gone by, working odds and ends jobs, educating the kids, wondering whether or not.

Rob Pene (05:58.892)
Yeah!

Bye bye.

Alithie Rock (06:25.858)
to do homeschooling, especially during the 2020 pandemic. feel like that shifted everybody. Fast forward to like literally a few months ago when this opportunity came through my friend Tasha who we've known since back in the day, 90s, like we grew up in the same Southern California together and our parents served in, our dads served together in what's called the High Council. was a local church organization and so I was like...

What better way to be able to be a connector and help those in our community than through education, whether it's academics or athletics or even educators. And so it's just, and that came back to me just the other day where I'm just like, how can I help contribute something, build something for my kids and something for our community and just build a foundation for these children, for these kids who I have such a passion for in regards to education.

Rob Pene (07:19.318)
So then how did you come across Tasha and then the Elite Performance Prep Academy?

Alithie Rock (07:24.234)
Okay, I've been following Tasha for years because we've been friends since we were in the youth like 10, 12. And so I've just been following her story just in general. And it popped up like it does in the algorithms because I was starting to search homeschool actually, during the pandemic that this was 2020. So five years ago. And I was like, I think I was like, I would love well,

First of all, was like, yes, I love teaching, but I'm like teaching my own kids? I'm like, they don't be listening. I'm like, sometimes teaching your own kids is like, it's a whole different thing. Sometimes I feel like the kids behave better outside, with other people. And so I'm like, listen, you guys, wrap it up here. But yeah, so I came across that and I was just, I was floored at all of the information I was receiving in regards to the public school system, education, public education.

Rob Pene (07:53.848)
Yeah.

Alithie Rock (08:16.397)
funding, the curriculum, and all the things. And I'm talking K through 12, because my kids are obviously younger. So I don't know much about higher education in legislature and all of that laws and stuff. And so yeah, it popped up and I was learning as she was feeding us bits in here, like little nuggets of stuff. was like, I could do this.

Rob Pene (08:36.758)
Yeah. Now you were thinking of homeschooling your kids all the time?

Alithie Rock (08:40.494)
Yeah, I have two that wanted like begged me to homeschool them. My two, my middle and my youngest. One of them has social anxieties and separation anxiety and the other one, he just felt like he wasn't being challenged in school. The other two, it's like, and I love the public school system for the social aspect, but when you're talking about like education, like schooling and education, there's two different things in my opinion. I just feel like, do we all need school?

Rob Pene (08:53.74)
Yeah.

Rob Pene (09:03.224)
Win!

Alithie Rock (09:08.844)
I don't know, do education? Yes, absolutely. Being to educate yourself and schooling is just the platform which we use to educate the children. And so that's the whole thing that I feel like totally opened my mind to like the process and this non-traditional way of teaching our children. And I think what I love most about what I love most about designing the school, this elite prep Academy that we're going to open here in Layton is that it's custom tailored.

Rob Pene (09:13.74)
Hmm

Rob Pene (09:37.846)
Hmm.

Alithie Rock (09:38.022)
personalized learning specifically for your child. Smaller class sizes, totally appealing. My fifth grader right now, love her teacher, love their school. That's another thing where I'm like toggling back and forth because it's like I don't want it to seem like we're competition because it's not. Like we literally just want to give an opportunity for children who might be struggling in the public school system because of crowded schools.

because they feel like they're getting left behind, because they're not feeling challenged, because they're dealing with other social anxieties from outside circumstances that they have no control over. And our system currently right now, the way it is, it's not set up to help the stragglers or the ones who are feeling left behind or excluded for XYZ. And then you've got special education. That's a whole nother thing with SPET. And I'm just seeing it more and more. Even when I work with younger kids, I feel like with...

Rob Pene (10:19.724)
Yeah.

Alithie Rock (10:29.368)
technology these days. It's like the kids, feel like younger and younger they're getting ADHD. Like some of them can't, they literally can't sit for two minutes so that I can do a 60 second assessment on reading, writing, arithmetic. They can't receive, and it's not the parent's fault, it's not the teacher's fault. I just truly feel it's the system. It's the system that we're in that doesn't allow us to perform optimally for these students who want to learn, who want to move forward. I'm rambling Rob, my gosh. Why can't top your ear off?

Rob Pene (10:54.434)
Yeah, what?

What city are you launching the school in?

Alithie Rock (11:02.68)
So I live in East Leighton, Utah. so it's Leighton prep is we have, we're in negotiations right now with a facility. So I'm meeting with our agent today and tomorrow to look at different properties of whether we are going to build or whether we're going to rent. like, it's all, it's happening quick and it's happening fast. so, that's another beautiful thing is like when you decide to do something that you're so passionate about, I just start to see, look, I believe in God. I believe in a higher power.

Rob Pene (11:22.112)
Nice.

Alithie Rock (11:30.65)
And I just start to see God's hand. I just start to see miracles that I'm just like, I haven't talked to some of these people in like years and they're reaching out like, my gosh, have connecting me. There it goes the word again, connector. And so it's like finding and networking and being able to do what's best for our community. But Leighton, Leighton and Davis County. So I'll be servicing Davis County, Utah.

Rob Pene (11:38.966)
Yeah.

Rob Pene (11:50.912)
Okay, Davis County, Utah. Gotcha. Now, when did you decide that you wanted to upgrade from, I'm gonna host my kids to actually, I wanna launch a facility. I wanna launch.

Alithie Rock (12:02.762)
my gosh, yeah. Well, I have always had an entrepreneurial heart. Listen, my first business I ran was when I was in third grade. My siblings will tell you. I went to the 99 cent store in Southern California. It was literally 99 cent store. I don't even know if they still exist, but their colors were purple and white. I still remember. When you're in third grade, I used my birthday money that I got from Grandma, from Nan and Papa. I went and I bought candy bars, and my favorite were these little Mexican candies, like the little chili balls and the chili on the spoon.

Rob Pene (12:29.783)
Yeah.

Alithie Rock (12:30.766)
Bro, if you were from LA and from the 90s, you know what I'm talking about. And then I would buy these chocolate bars and candies and I would, three for a dollar, and then I would go and sell them for like 75 cents. And I would make money and then I would get my profits and then I would help my mom with buying Christmas gifts for the kids or, anyway, so I had a little stash. If you went to high school with me, dude, you would know I had like a little stash in my locker. I was like the candy lady. I did it in middle school and then in my high school. But I did that for a little bit it was really fun. I was like, oh my gosh.

Rob Pene (12:46.072)
you

Alithie Rock (12:58.402)
This is fun, I can make money on the side. This is amazing. So it stemmed from that. I've always wanted to run my own business. I've always wanted to help the community. My parents have instilled, planted that seed when I was really young. As an entrepreneur, I remember when I was really little, my parents were looking at franchises. I remember really little, I remember seeing little sticky notes with three by five cards.

written on their bedroom wall. It's like McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Subway. I remember seeing figures and I don't remember, was like $10,000. I remember thinking, that? What? I don't know how much it was back in the late 80s and 90s, but that, it went from, I was like, I can do this. I want to do something that I want to build something that's sustainable, that's profitable, that's helpful, that can fill a need. When you see a need, you want to find the solution and we want to be the solution.

Rob Pene (13:25.528)
Hmm.

Rob Pene (13:49.464)
Was there a particular catalyst that triggered you to be like, oh, OK, I want to do the school thing versus something else?

Alithie Rock (13:59.106)
I just have legitimately always loved school. Like I was the kid that when I was sick, would pretend I wasn't sick because I didn't want to miss school. So I loved school. I always have. Loved learning. And then the sports side of it, I've just always loved sports. Like I grew up in a family that was, they played, I was a multiple sport kid growing up. Same with my siblings, cousins, aunties, uncles.

And so merging the two, my biggest thing was thinking about like, I want to be like the Juilliard for athletes. You know how Juilliard has like the performing arts where they get to study performing and theater arts, musical arts, but it's like then they can also get their academics taken care of as well. So I'm like, why don't we have one of those? Why don't we have a Juilliard for athletes where they, those who are focusing on their craft and sports and staying physically fit, whether it's CrossFit, football, baseball, there's a myriad of

of athletic sports out there where sometimes kids are getting pulled out school early and they're missing classes for tournaments and it's like they're having to, like literally today I have to pull my kid out of school. He has a tournament about an hour away, volleyball tournament for high school and it's like I just, I gotta pull him out and he's gonna be missing a couple classes, maybe one and a half. Anyways, same thing with my other son. The following week he's got a football tournament and same thing, pulling him out. So it's stuff like that that I'm just like.

Parents are juggling a lot. Parents are juggling a lot in regards to teaching their kids, raising their kids, educating them, all the athletic extracurriculars that are so important and that they value. I just want to be, I want to be the connector that helps bridge the gap between those two.

Rob Pene (15:34.2)
Yeah.

Rob Pene (15:37.794)
Now, what was it that you saw that Tasha put out there that made you feel like, yeah, I'm going to reach out and I want to do that same model?

Alithie Rock (15:48.269)
My biggest concern as a parent, so I was first thinking as like a consumer, as like if I'm gonna use this program for my kids, was like, listen, my kids are doing okay. They're actually doing okay in the public school system. I'm a huge fan of their schools, teachers. Sure, there are some things that we can improve on. Every business, every school district in the nation can attest to that. But I feel like...

As I was looking at the options, I was like, they're doing okay. My kids are actually surviving. And that was the thing, is I didn't want them to just survive. I wanted them to thrive. I wanted to give them an opportunity to literally, I wanted to build a platform so that they can soar. And so when I looked at her program and I was looking at the model, I was like, I was overwhelmed. Because first of all, my brain is like, I'm thinking like, have to build this massive facility. I'm like, am I going to be the principal? I can't be a principal. I don't have my degree in admin stuff.

And so it's like, then I was like getting ahead of myself and then she had to like talk me off the ledge and like, no, no, no, you can literally start super small. It's micro-schooling. It's literally homeschooling for athletes. That's basically what it is. It's basically just a homeschool for parents who want to homeschool their kids, but maybe can't, they are still working. They're still working full-time. I'm in a position right now where I can help in that regard.

And so I wanted to, I definitely wanted to jump on board and see what we can do to customize it for Davis County students.

Rob Pene (17:14.26)
Nice. Is there anything in your area that's similar?

Alithie Rock (17:19.017)
In my area, I mean we have charter schools. It's not this. No, the answer to that is like absolutely not. I'm trying. No, there is no. I mean there are parents who are homeschooling and even during pandemic time. I remember getting together with a bunch of moms in our neighborhood and we were talking about doing rotations were like OK, you homeschool. You can do the classes this week will take next week and we were like on a on a certain weekly program. We have a lot of homeschool. We do have a lot of homeschoolers though in Davis County. I looked I was researching in our in our district.

that the enrollment for school, public education, public schools, K through 12, the enrollment is starting to decrease. More and more are just starting to pull their kids out of the school system so that they can have more power and more control. Not just the curriculum and what they're learning, but their schedules. That's a big thing. Utah is huge into dance. We have dance moms. Y'all are the real deal.

So it's like stuff like that where it's like they're also pulling their kids, their girls out of and boys out of school to take them to these dance competitions. And I just don't want to limit, I don't want to limit how we think about how our children can receive education and prepare themselves for the future.

Rob Pene (18:22.69)
Yeah.

Rob Pene (18:30.061)
Yeah.

How are you going to position your school to these homeschool parents and tell them, hey, you should actually roll with us versus doing it on your own?

Alithie Rock (18:44.067)
my gosh, have like literally lists and lists and lists of papers of like all the things that I'm just like, I've been asking myself that. What were you gonna say Rob?

Rob Pene (18:50.849)
Wow.

Rob Pene (18:54.794)
Yeah, no, that's cool. Is all your notes there? Yeah. Does that include like your differentiating factor, your unique selling proposition to the homeschool parents?

Alithie Rock (19:07.405)
Yeah, so it literally, it's like my brain is like, have to compartmentalize and I think, you know, when you have like a gazillion tabs up on your phone or on the computer, that's how I feel like my brain is. like, okay, I'll close that tab, don't wanna come back to this, but I know about that. But I just, what I want them to know.

is that there is a better way. There is a more efficient way for our children to receive the education they need, to prepare them for life experiences, to not have their minds limited to like the traditional like hamster wheel of like go to school, get a job, get married, live your life and die. So it's like, I mean that sounds so blah, but.

Rob Pene (19:31.062)
Hmm.

Alithie Rock (19:55.757)
It's the truth, you know? It was like, well, that's how we were conditioned. That's how we were taught when we were growing up. like, yeah, just, everybody just went to school, like, duh. And I remember that, not a negative connotation, but it was like, that is the word, not sigma. Now I'm thinking sigma, but it's like the, where it's homeschool, it's like, oh, she was homeschool. I was like, homeschool, did that make them weird? Or like, you know, they make them socially awkward, but that's been a, make further from the truth. And so it's just what I,

Rob Pene (19:57.24)
Yeah.

Alithie Rock (20:24.171)
that's what I'm excited to have our info. We have actually a couple info sessions lined up here in April for Davis County area so that parents can come and learn more about these options. And the other thing too is like I don't think parents know is that there's state, federal, local funding for this. That's the biggest thing that I think parents don't realize too is like what the heck there's funding like I can get scholarships for my kids to go to participate in these educational services.

Rob Pene (20:29.739)
Okay.

Alithie Rock (20:50.989)
That was like the biggest thing is because yes, it's tuition-based. I'm just gonna say that straight up front because some parents are like, wait, are you a school? Are you at a public school? Is it a private school, charter school? They have all these questions and it's like, yeah, no, it's a service, but let me tell you, we are going to find you ways to help you so that you can pay little to zero dollars. That's the other thing. I don't think parents know that in Davis County, some of the fun facts.

Rob Pene (21:09.784)
Mmm.

Hmm.

Alithie Rock (21:15.053)
are, there's what's called the WPU. It's the weighted pupil per unit. So it's like every school district in the nation gets a dollar amount that goes with that child to their school, to wherever they're registered and enrolled. And in Davis County, the amount is 5,094. So it was just over, just over 5,000, no, 5,094. So just over $5,000. And that's what goes to your child's school.

Oh my gosh, you can look this up on the Utah.gov website because that's the thing that was baffling to me. When you do the math, it's like, OK, let me take my daughter's fifth grade class. She's got 31 students in that class. Maybe 30 now. think one move. But when you do the math, it's like, OK, $5,100 times the 31 students is $158,000. And it's like, that's for just that one class. And then as you start to break down, where are these funds going?

That's the part that was mind boggling to me as well. It's like our nation spent billions and billions of dollars on the education system and yet our kids are not even ranked in like the top 20 for academics. Like they can't even, some of them can't even read it like a third grade, fourth grade level. Again, it's not the teacher's fault. It's not the parent's fault. It's the system. And I don't know how we can, it's such a big, we're tackling up the hemoth of an issue here.

Rob Pene (22:22.616)
Yeah.

Rob Pene (22:37.92)
Yeah, how are you setting up your classes? Like, what's the agenda look like? Is it going to be a mixture of dance and volleyball and, you know, yeah.

Alithie Rock (22:44.738)
I know, I know. It's actually fun. That's the fun part is designing our schedule accordingly. And so we have some samples which will be on my Instagram page. We have some like snapshots and samples of like what classroom will look like. Because there's two options. You can have just the micro schooling where they're just getting the academic portion or the sports academy where they're coming for more hours and they're going back and forth and they're switching from academics to

conditioning, weight training, then flip back to academics. They're moving around, then they're going back to some more sport-specific training, and then also mental performance and meditation. That was another thing that I'm like, my gosh, we get to incorporate that into our school, into our academic and our academy to help them help the kids with all of these emotions that they're going through these days, right? It's like, ugh, it's kind of like everybody, we get our little therapy sesh, and it's gonna be amazing.

Rob Pene (23:23.575)
Yeah.

Rob Pene (23:37.346)
Yeah, yeah. What's the age range that you're...

Alithie Rock (23:41.005)
So it's the academic portion is K through 12 and there are grade bands. So we have great I know everyone's like what that's a lot. Generally speaking it's K through 12 and then there are grade bands K through two, three through five, middle school which is six through eight and then high school nine through 12. So it's those four different grade bands that we get to that you're gonna have and will.

I always think of like Little House on the Prairie. You know, the school house? And they have all that big range of like different age groups and kids. It's gonna look similar to that, but on a much more modern level. Because the class sizes are gonna be really small. so, yeah.

Rob Pene (24:07.426)
and

Rob Pene (24:14.476)
Okay, thanks. Yeah.

That's going to be my next question. Yeah, what's the student faculty ratio?

Alithie Rock (24:25.781)
Yeah, so the academic coach to student ratio is one to 10. And so that's another thing is it's like one teacher, 10 students. Can you imagine like for all my teachers out there, could you imagine what it's like teaching when you just have those 10 beautiful minds that you can focus on and you get to know them personally and you get to understand and help them on a deeper level that you just aren't able to right now in the public school system. So that was one of the biggest things that was also appealing about.

Rob Pene (24:30.744)
Thanks.

Alithie Rock (24:54.699)
running this academy was the class sizes, the customization, and then the funding, like the funding and helping the parents find all of these different avenues. Utah right now, let me find the right paperwork. Utah right now, can get up to, it's four grand and six grand are the amounts that you can get, are scholarships. That's just free money that the parents get.

We help them apply for it and then they have their own dashboard where it's like, there's no cash transaction. It's literally money that goes into the students dashboard that's run by the parents that they can use to help with these educational services. And so that was like the biggest thing too. Like parents were like, don't want my kids are doing okay and I can't afford it.

We're gonna help you. I promise you like because I'm I'm my background is that like finance money and budgeting that's and I'm like I know I know I promise We're gonna we're gonna make it work. We're gonna connect the dots. We're gonna find ways so that your kids can succeed in every way they can oh My gosh, that's why I was like this fall. Can you believe that like fall like September 8th? So and that's another thing is like

Rob Pene (25:52.216)
We have.

Rob Pene (25:57.964)
Yeah, when do you open?

Rob Pene (26:04.024)
you

Alithie Rock (26:06.829)
Yeah, so this fall, September 8th, I am hiring you guys. You're going to see soon that we're hiring for front office, looking for a secretary of admin and our academic coaches. So I'm getting resumes right now and we start this fall. again, we're only taking a certain amount of students. We're only going to take 20 this fall, maybe 40, depending on how the chips fall. So like max 40 books.

Rob Pene (26:25.56)
Yeah, how many? 10 or more?

Alithie Rock (26:34.807)
For sure 20, like we're only gonna take 20 students this fall. And I am stoked. And like, just imagine if you are in my center, you are like the first graduating class of the Rock Academy here in the elite for elite performance in late 10. It's like the 20, like your 20 students are gonna get all the love and all of the attention. And we're gonna, I'm just excited to help mold and build these future leaders and empower the rising generation with these skills that will help them.

Rob Pene (26:52.056)
Wow.

Rob Pene (27:01.856)
Yeah, so that's interesting. If you have like a 12th grader, incoming 12th grader,

Alithie Rock (27:07.277)
like if they're in high school and then there's their senior year or.

Rob Pene (27:13.418)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. How does that work? I guess you just take them based on what their current educational standing is,

Alithie Rock (27:20.009)
Yeah. Yes, with different assessments. And that's something that actually Tasha has like personal experience with her and Satema, who are my business partners who are helping us. Tasha created this whole model plan. The main center, I call it the headquarters, is out in Nevada. But yeah, literally her son and Satema's just graduated. And that's the beautiful thing is like they pulled them out of the school system and you're able to get.

I know it's being thrown around like crazy with all the political jargon going on, but literally you can be more efficient with the time with this homeschooling program because you can get instead of the six hours that it normally takes for public school system, you can get that in three hours. And then they have the rest of the day to do their sports, be with their family, work on their business. Some of these kids are graduating already and he's running a business making like $5,000 a month and he's only what 17? I gotta ask Tasha on that.

Rob Pene (28:11.916)
Yeah.

Alithie Rock (28:12.887)
But these are real life successful stories and I'm like, yeah, we can do this. We can do this. But yeah, in regards to the whole onboarding, that's another thing that we're trying to get set up as well, as we're getting kids registered, meeting with families who, hey, this might be a good fit for our kids. We're sitting down answering all the questions. So it's a lot, but I am loving it. I am loving helping the parents and local educators.

Rob Pene (28:17.644)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's awesome.

Rob Pene (28:33.42)
Very nice.

Rob Pene (28:39.17)
Yeah.

Alithie Rock (28:43.489)
families just learned what's out there. And there might even be parents, teachers right now in the system that are like, I just don't have, I have 28 students in my class, but I have one that this would probably be a better fit for him. And that's my whole thing is community, it's collaborating, it's networking. Like as a coach, I was just talking about this with my team and one of my assistant coaches last night is like, yes, when it comes to sports, we compete. want competition. I want you to be better.

But in the sense of, in regards to education and when you're learning and growing and molding and developing, that's a collaborative work right there. Straight up, you have to work together and do what's best for the student, not what's best for you or what's best for XYZ. And it's like, I want to do what's best for the child, to build the human as a whole so that they can go out into life and feel confident and feel like they have what they need to succeed.

Rob Pene (29:19.16)
Yeah.

Rob Pene (29:35.82)
Yeah. Now what's your Instagram? Where can people find you?

Alithie Rock (29:39.863)
my gosh. The business page is Elite Layton, Utah. So it's Elite Performance Academy Layton, the tag name is Elite Layton, Utah. And then I am.

Rob Pene (29:50.58)
Utah, U-T-A-H, like spelled out.

Alithie Rock (29:53.581)
Elite, elite, Leighton. my gosh, I'm so bad, Rob. Let me look it up real quick. I'm like, this is the, I'm like, I should know this. I should know this. It's, okay, it's just elite, Leighton, Utah. elite, E-L-I-T-E, Leighton, Utah. So it's elite, Leighton, Utah on Instagram, Elite Performance Academy. And then my,

Rob Pene (30:04.127)
L-A-T-E-N.

Rob Pene (30:09.15)
see.

Okay.

Rob Pene (30:17.985)
Okay.

Alithie Rock (30:23.129)
pages, elitebrock07. Yes, elitebrock07 and then elitelatinyutah is where you can find me Instagram and our Facebook pages also. It's all the preliminaries, like we're brand brand spanking new and so yes, yes we're ready to start sitting with families talking to those who are ready for us, who have questions, who have, we want to be able to answer those questions and connect them with

Rob Pene (30:25.944)
and lethierock07. Yeah. Very good.

Rob Pene (30:39.052)
but you're open for business. You're ready to accept students.

Rob Pene (30:50.263)
Yeah.

Alithie Rock (30:51.659)
the right sources to help them feel like they can sleep at night and their child isn't suffering and all the things.

Rob Pene (30:56.16)
Yeah, yeah. That's good. Well, great. I appreciate you hopping on and sharing a little bit about your story and the vision and everything. I think this is going to be helpful for people. Yeah, very good. All right. Thanks.

Alithie Rock (31:05.129)
Yes, thank you Rob. I appreciate you. You are the man.