It is well known that we (Quincy, Noah, & Grace) are not ones to make something like this unless it’s something we’re strongly passionate about. Our selfless mother, Kari Fotis, has been given the opportunity to purchase the building that has become home to her flourishing business, Hampton Roads Dyslexia Center (HRDC). As you can imagine, this is not a small decision to make. It’s a new venture to ensure the permanence of her company, which thrills us all; however, it comes with a significant price tag.

Our mom’s life has been dedicated to helping not only students, but their families advocate for their education and reach their highest potentials. After rising to be a lead teacher of Special Education in the York County School Division following approximately 20 years of teaching (all while tutoring for hours after work and raising three kids), she was presented with an opportunity. She could continue to tutor children using the Wilson Reading System while also helping families finally get answers and diagnoses for Autism and Dyslexia through testing. Diagnoses are game changers when it comes to kids getting the necessary resources both in and out of the classroom and our mother has been able to change an abundance of lives by offering this service at HRDC.

The fundamentals of reading are not easy to learn without the correct and specialized guidance of a teacher. To break bad habits learned from years of ignorance or embarrassment is an even greater challenge. Beyond adolescence, there are lifelong repercussions for not providing the focused attention to children in need of extra help, something the public school system strives to address but falls short of due to the sheer volume of children in the system. The gift of language comprehension is one that many of us take for granted and one that our mother has made her life goal to teach.

Our mom built HRDC with her heart and soul, starting with her as the sole teacher. Over the last four years, HRDC has grown to a staff of 21 outstanding teachers who share the same passion for changing children’s lives one word at a time. In addition to tutoring and testing, HRDC helps parents navigate the special ed system and provides advocates to ensure students are getting the services they need. All these specialized services, in conjunction with her dedicated staff, have led to HRDC being awarded Best Tutoring Center in Newport News 3 years in a row!

Now, we are in need of significant investments to purchase this building, thus allowing HRDC to continue to teach, educate, and aid students with disabilities. Any little bit helps and makes a difference. We thank you for your generosity and taking the time to hear her story. Our mom has always done whatever it takes to keep our dreams alive; this is a way for us to start giving back to help keep hers alive.

With great thanks and love,

Quincy, Noah, and Grace Fotis

Please visit her website and read some of the many family testimonies praising the work she's done to change their children's lives: https://www.hamptonroadsdyslexiacenter.com/ourstory