We had the good fortune of connecting with Deatra Starling-Kinard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Deatra, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
Growing up, my “Daddy” always shared powerful messages by Les Brown, Renowned Motivational Speaker, and this particular quote reinforced my purpose and goals: “Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars.”

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
STAR provides academic and instructional support in core subjects for scholars from kindergarten to college. STAR is an acronym for Scholars That Achieve Results. It truly is our passion to see our scholars realize and achieve all their academic goals. We stop at nothing to help young people on their educational journeys, even providing support with personal issues and other events in their lives that affect their improvement as a scholar. We sincerely care about the wellbeing and academic performance of our scholars. As an Instructional Coach and Chief Educator, I have over 23 years of experience in education. Today, I have more than two decades of experience as a professional tutor and academic coach. Here at STAR, we go beyond the curriculum and testing; we are here to make a difference in the lives of scholars and their families. We have helped scholars attend their dream colleges by providing tools and resources to achieve influential ACT & SAT scores that open doors to a plethora of scholarships and merit-based financial aid rewards. As a result, parents can save thousands of dollars.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My first shout out goes to my husband and son (my business partners) for their love and support! When there is King by your side, there has to be a balance as a Queen who chooses to stay at home to raise a young black prince.
My next shout out goes to Living Embraced…Kym was able to take my vision for my “tiny house’ office and turn it beyond what I could ever imagine. Her ability to transform space and her ability to understand help create a beautiful version of my new office. As a  Certified Interior Decorator, Kym turned her love for DIY projects and her passion for decorating into her ministry, Living Embraced, …and it shows in her work!

Website: https://www.staracademicinc.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/staracademicservices

Image Credits
The senior pics photo credits: BICPhotography; Zest & Zeal Photography Other pics are from my personal phone.

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