After overcoming challenges and waiting several years for what she wanted, Sandra Brigman—a single mother—fought to establish a company model in the educational sphere with the vital support of her family. Thankfully, she may now inspire others by sharing her successful experience.
Although she considers 2018 the official year that Kidwings Nature School was founded, her narrative starts many years earlier.
“The concept for my project originated in 2009 during a personal development workshop. The goal of the workshop was to brainstorm ways to better humanity, and since children are the seed of all humanity, I came up with the idea to establish a school of love because the seed of all human beings is in what we learn and live the first seven years of life.”
Expressing that idea to improve the world awakened Sandra’s interest in researching more about the subject and working on turning it into a profitable venture.
“I developed a strong interest in alternative education, traveled to numerous countries, and started researching different philosophies like Waldorf, Montessori, and other pedagogical approaches. I was drawn to Waldorf education, and I also liked the idea of the Forest School because of the independence and connection to nature that it offers.”
A VISIONARY MOM
After her travels, Sandra returned to the United States; at that time, her mother was opening a daycare.
“I assisted my mother in setting up her daycare, which was motivated by the Waldorf ideology. And that passion for education increased years later when I became a mother. I didn’t want to miss the first years of my baby’s life, but because I had a job that required me to be gone all day, and as a single mother, I had to figure out how to make money without neglecting my kid.”
It was a difficult time in Sandra’s life; she divided her days into maintaining her business, being a mother, and working as an Uber driver while receiving social support to cover her and her baby’s needs.
“At that time, I didn’t have much income. At the daycare, I started taking the children on outdoor walks, which motivated them to learn through contact with nature. At the same time, I began my studies as a Waldorf system teacher; then, I worked at a Natural Homeschool, where I decided to start my own company.”
A FIGHT THAT SHE WASN’T WILLING TO LOSE
Starting her own business forced Sandra to face her fears and challenged her resilience in a battle she was unwilling to lose.
“It wasn’t easy; several times, I gave up because I was so heartbroken to see that no children had shown up, and I had put everything into making this project, the website, the promotion, studying, going to college, and holding open houses, but only one family showed up, which made me depressed because I had no idea what I was doing wrong. Time passed, and I could not draw in any kids. I had just one child registered for over a year, and then it went up to about six children. And it was due to the pandemic that my business expanded because with the confinement, many children did not adapt well to online classes, and families looked for new alternatives.”
Sandra is sure that her deep love for her daughter and her enthusiasm for teaching is why she persevered through this challenging journey to consolidate her school.
“I guess my passion and faith in the concept kept me going during those years. But most importantly, my love for my kid. However, there were also elements that contributed to my confidence in my idea, such as the fact that there were only two Natural Schools in San Diego at the time and my family’s strong support, both of which encouraged me to keep going.”
BELIEVING IN HERSELF WAS THE KEY
Sandra once made the decision to work at Natural Homeschool since she was so discouraged.
“My daughter, who was four years old at the time, was studying there. I noticed that up to four children attended that school every day, and I questioned why they went, considering that what I provided was very similar and I was qualified to do those tasks.”
“At that moment, my fear went away, and I was able to carry on. Since then, the children have started to come. The pandemic soon followed, bringing with it additional children, and ever since then, the school has been growing.”
SANDRA BRIGMAN
Founder and Director
Kidwings Nature School
Preschool, Kinder, Homeschool & Camps
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