Meet Cris DuCree | Owner/Tutor of Enriched Youth

Hi! First, I want to say that I am happy to be doing this with you all, again! Thank you for having me. Okay, so what or whom is responsible for my success? God is responsible. My journey is divinely unique. God placed this purpose IN ME, but I have to do the work. Therefore, my drive and determination are also responsible for my success. I have this “I can’t quit” mentality; quitting is just not an option for me. There are too many people waiting for this to grow, so I must continue. I must persevere.

Enriched Youth is a private, in-home tutoring service that provides supplemental education for K-12 and adult students throughout the Inland Empire and Los Angeles areas. I am a teacher by profession and, in this lane of education, I teach a myriad of subjects. However, that’s not all I teach. I teach my clients to persevere, to overcome adversity and obstacles, and to live up to their full potential both inside and outside of the classroom. I help them do away with fear and help build their confidence in academia and in life.

The distinction between what I do and what others do is my desire to impact each student’s life in a positive way. I don’t just want to teach, I want to change lives and ways of thinking. Good teachers do their job, but great teachers leave a lasting imprint on the lives of those they teach. We remember the great ones and the life lessons they taught us, and now I get to be that for other students! THAT excites me! THAT drives me to continue educating and mentoring!

One of the primary reasons I’m here and Enriched Youth is thriving, is because someone was that model for me. For example, I had a really great third grade teacher. He was kind, patient, and passionate about teaching. Beyond that, I could tell he CARED. Like, really CARED. Meeting the status quo wasn’t the focus because he would actually spend MORE time on certain topics before moving on and make himself available after school; he wasn’t leaving his students lost in the wind. As a kid, I picked up on all of that and I knew that was the kind of teacher I wanted to be once I got the opportunity.

Of course, life happens and there were a lot of lessons to learn along the way and a lot of inner growth that had to take place before I got here. Was it easy? Absolutely not! To quote the late great Nipsey Hussle, “[my] only distinguishing quality…is that I didn’t quit.” I’ve overcome challenges through prayer and patience with myself, through support from my core group of loved ones, and from deciding to continue despite what’s happening around me. Through this, I’ve learned a lot about myself as a person and a businesswoman. I’ve learned to stand firm in the boundaries I create for myself and this business. I’ve learned that being straightforward and transparent about details will better serve me and this business. These are all examples of why I’m a better woman and my business continues to grow and thrive.

I want the world to know and understand that my passion for educating does not stop when the tutoring session ends, and that Enriched Youth will become a world wide household name.

Wow, there is truly a village of people encouraging and supporting me, so here we go! First, and most importantly, I want to thank God because without divine provision, discernment, and blessings, none of this would even exist. I am grateful beyond words to be able to get up and enjoy doing what I am called to do!

Next, I want to shout out Autumn Washington, my close friend and the owner of Autumn in July Events which is an event planning service. Before Enriched Youth became what it is, Autumn dedicated a lot of her time helping me get my website up and making sure I was meeting deadlines. To this day, she is very generous with sharing helpful resources and tips on how to thrive in the business industry! Thank you, Autumn!

Shout out to my friend and celebrity hairstylist, Bree Fizdale. She has been taking care of and styling my hair since Enriched Youth started. My hair has been what clients notice first about me, so thank you Bree for being a part of my brand image!

I also want to shout out my circle of friends and cousins who have referred clients to me, encouraged me when I wanted to quit, taught me how important breaks and self-care days are, and helped me celebrate my wins. From Memphis to Chicago to Phoenix to the Pacific Northwest to right here in Southern California, no matter where they are physically, the support from them is always constant. My heart is so full from the genuine love and support you all have for me and this business! Thank you!

Next, shout out to all those who have supported Enriched Youth by word of mouth client referrals, reposting my social media posts, purchasing merchandise from the Swag Shop, donating supplies, and buying items from the wishlist! Thank you all oh so much!!

Finally, I want to shout out my clients! Thanks for rocking with me! Enriched Youth has been fully operational for a year and a half, and I am just as excited to work with my clients as I was on day one!