Launching in February 2013, Tutor Doctor, a worldwide tutoring franchise that provides individualized home-based instruction to learners of all ages, officially became the foundational sponsor of “The Why Factor”, a non-profit community outreach program created to spark inspiration in students, parents, and educators alike to help break through the barriers that hold them inspired. The one-on-one, in-home tutoring service is on a mission to fuel student dreams through motivation, inspiration and collaboration.
The primary motivational speaker for “The Why Factor”, Shayne Smith, has visited nearly 60 schools and organizations across North America so far, inspiring and challenging students of all ages and backgrounds to acknowledge their dreams and develop goals to realize them. The overarching goal of “The Why Factor” program is to inspire and excite students about building confidence and self-esteem through the magic of education.
Shayne Smith is a driven and motivated 25 year old. He is a role model to kids and teenagers for his ability to overcome obstacles and achieve the most seemingly impossible dreams. When Shayne was four months old, he contracted meningococcal septicaemia, a form of sepsis, leaving him with multiple amputations, including his legs, a hand and half of each finger on the other. He always wanted to play basketball, and despite being told that he could never play, he has made it to the Wheelchair Basketball All Star Team, and has won several awards for his game. It took Shayne four years of pushing himself on the court to make his first basket, and he never looked back. Some of Shayne’s accomplishments include carrying Ontario’s flag in the opening ceremonies at the 2011 Canada Winter Games, being a Para Olympic representative, and Junior National Wheelchair Basketball All Star Team member.
Since Shayne’s childhood, he has consistently proved that people with disabilities can do anything that able-bodied people can. The goal of the Tutor Doctor sponsorship is to inspire everyone to realize a bright future through education by teaching individuals to be self-motivated and driven to reach their full potential.
Through “The Why Factor,” Shayne shares his story, obstacles and ongoing success with young students across the world to prove that you write your own rulebook. Regardless of the circumstances or challenges you’re up against, anyone can triumph over setbacks and limitations once they realize that a bad attitude is the real disability. Just like in his wheelchair basketball games, Shayne offensively plays his strengths instead of focusing on the negatives. He achieves these personal victories with an unbeatable spirit by putting a dedicated effort into achieving his goals.
Tutor Doctor and “The Why Factor” formed a partnership as one of Tutor Doctor’s core messages of “Dream, Believe, Achieve!” aligns perfectly with “The Why Factor’s” core message of “Motivation, Inspiration, and Collaboration”. With over 370 Tutor Doctor territories worldwide, Shayne is able to spread his story and his messages of “no limit!” and “the only thing holding you back is you!” with students across the globe alongside local Tutor Doctor representatives.
Offering private, in-home tutoring sessions, Tutor Doctor’s one-on-one teaching model creates an environment free of peer press and ridicule for all ages and learning abilities. In fact, many families hire Tutor Doctor to help their children get ahead and prepare for larger challenges, such as advanced classes that could help them get into a preferred college or university. With “The Why Factor’s” message of chasing your dreams and not letting limitations define and shape your future, students who believe tutoring will help them achieve their dreams will hopefully be able to walk away with the courage and confidence to further their education.
Over the past several months, we’ve received countless thank-you letters to Shayne for his inspirational speech from students, parents and educators, including the following testimonials.
“Hey, I am a student at Wilson middle school. I REALLY enjoyed seeing you talk to my school about what you do, it has inspired me and my classmates to do our best. Thank you for always doing your best to push us to do the same, and we all really enjoyed your handstand, it was impressive.”
– Kali, Student
“Shayne, I just wanted to thank you for coming to Coalhurst and speaking for us. You are a very inspirational person and you sure know how to get the crowd to smile. I have met many motivational speakers and people who change the world but you are by far the best. I’ve never called someone ugly in my entire life so when you asked me, I almost cried! Again, thanks for coming to Coalhurst and speaking to the high school. There is no doubt in my mind I will never forget this! Hope this next year off for you goes well and good luck achieving more challenges you come to face!”
– Brittanney, Student
“I just wanted to say thank you again for a wonderful and memorable day. All of the students can’t stop talking about all of the presentations. They were engaging and informative and the kids said everyone was very personable and friendly. We really do thank you for making our day special and hope our paths cross again. Thank you for what you do and all the best.”
– Vice Principal
“I just wanted to give you feedback on today’s special guest Shayne Smith. My girls came back talking nonstop about him. I got a very detailed story of his life and accomplishments and they were really excited about having met him. They really got his message, especially Téa my 2nd grader, who was able to articulate back to me how there is no limit in life, and that you can achieve all your dreams. Téa in the morning was a little concerned that she would be scared of seeing someone with no arms and legs but came back saying how nice he was, and how great his energy was. They were also both impressed by his handstand and three point shot! I think they will both remember Shayne Smith for a very long time along with his powerful message of achieving his dreams. I wanted to thank you for bringing him to VBSDS, it was a brilliant idea! In our world of iPads and technology, this was simply a magical teaching moment that no machine could replace.”
– Lélia, Parent
Frank Milner became President of Tutor Doctor in 2007. Milner began his career as a stockbroker and then built a hugely successful insurance business before becoming known as “The Sales Coach.” Milner’s most recent role was as Vice President of WSI, Internet Education & Consulting, helping establish and drive the success of one of the industry’s leading franchise organizations. Milner brings with him a dynamic leadership style and 15+ years of high-growth executive management experience.
For more information:
http://whyfactor.org/.
http://tutordoctor.com/.