From Carly Donnelly, a former adult coaching client
“Coach Candace helped me in a myriad of ways. From time management, to how to study to organization. I got through graduate school at the University of Virginia in Communication Disorders simply due to her coaching. I was ill informed and poorly trained on how to truly be successful in school. I coasted through college on all nighters and B’s and running (literally) to turn papers and tests in. Then I learned how to truly study, how to keep myself motivated and in line, how to make sure I have all of my school materials organized (and my life materials), and how to study then take breaks effectively to get the job done. Thank you Coach Candace! Now I am a certified Speech Pathologist and (believe it or not) working on a second masters with all the skills that she gave me. Guess what- I landed the honors society in my second masters and am about to graduate in August of 2019! I could not sing Coach Candace’s praises more.”
Mother of a student at St. Andrews School in Potomac, MD
If it wasn’t for Candy my son wouldn’t have made it out of high school! Six weeks left at St. Andrews and way behind in work/papers that were due. We were desperate but she got him through it! And he graduated and graduated college as well!
This is what people are saying about Coach Candace on Facebook!
“Candy is very dedicated to the work she does with children and is up to date on the latest in her field of working with those that have ADD and ADHD. I highly recommend her. I give her 5 stars!”
“Candace is extremely compassionate, understanding, and patient with all children and teenagers who are struggling in school. I highly recommend her as a coach.”
“I was fortunate to find Candace as an ADHD Coach for our son during high school. With Candace’s guidance and suggestions, he is now better organized with his person belongings, school notes and assignments and calendar. He schedules appointments and reminders to accomplish his tasks, tests, projects and goals on a timely basis. Today, my son is successfully completing his second year of college.”
“Candace is a kind, compassionate and gifted coach. I highly recommend her to any young person who struggles with academics. Candace makes learning fun!” “Candy Sahm is a kind, caring and compassionate coach. She seeks to personalize a plan based on each student’s individual needs. Her skills allow her to work with children and adults. She offers advice and guidance to better her clients’ lives. Candy is available for consultations no matter where your geographic location both by phone or Skype.” “Candace is a fabulous coach. She empowers so many students to recognize and maximize their talents.” “Candace is incredibly dedicated and passionate about her work to make a positive difference, everyday, for life!”
From Ollen, a former Coaching client:
Ollen, a coaching client, practices note taking by listening to a favorite song. He has also been more successful since he has been working on time management strategies and organizing his backpack. “Since I have been coming I am feeling better about my school work.”
From a former adult Coaching client:
“As a busy executive, I travel often and I am currently located outside of the DC metro area. Candace was quite accommodating and agreed to work with me via phone and e-mail. For approximately thirty minutes each week, she assisted me in working on some of the organizational challenges that have hindered me both professionally and personally. I learned some practical strategies that I still use to this day. Candace’s positive nature was refreshing and it helped me to gain greater confidence in my ability to effectively manage my ADHD. Her knowledge of the latest research in the field also led me to explore treatments without medication. I began using omega 3 at Candace’s suggestions and have found it to be extremely helpful. Thank you, Candace.”
From Connor Cave, former student:
“I started with Candace when I was in the 9th grade when I was attending the Lab School of Washington. I came to PLE for ADHD Coaching and tutoring to help me with my writing, organization, time-management and study skills. I was here almost every day. Candace even attended some of my IEP meetings.
Before coming to PLE, I had a D average in school and I left here with a B average. Before I came to PLE, my book bag was like a trashcan and after it was organized.
After the Lab School, I went off to military school. All of the skills I learned at PLE helped me keep my door room clean and school supplies organized for each class.
Candace was very helpful because she was nice and courteous and treated me like one of her own children. The coaching and tutoring were helpful because they’ve kept me organized still to this day.”
Drew Bender, a coaching client, has received straight A’s once again on his report card. He gives a lot of credit to Coach Candace for helping him stay organized. They partner together to work on self advocacy skills so he can get his accomodations. They also work on ways to memorize information by making study tests, etc. They use www.quia.com to do this. They also use the Time Timer™.
From a current adult Coaching client:
“As a member of her monthly support group and as a private client, I have benefited from Candace’s extensive knowledge and personal experience in the field. During our private sessions, we spend quite a bit of time working on my daily schedule. This work allows me to get a better grasp of how to get items ready for the next day so that I do not have to scramble in the morning. It also helps me figure out a more effective way to plan my meals. I am truly appreciative of Candace and always look forward to the monthly support group.”
From Beth Albaneze, Founder of HouseCalls, LLC:
“I have known Candace for several years now and observed all the effort she puts into each person who comes through her door. The state of the art materials and technique used by Candace and her tutors cannot be replicated. She is passionate to ensure that each client acquires life-sustaining skills sets.”
From Menyone Bowers, mother of a student:
“Before we started coming to Candace, I had just about lost all hopes of finding a way to help my son be successful in school. I’d thought I’d tried everything and nothing was working. We’ve only been attending sessions with Candace for a short time, but already I’m seeing slight improvements. He has a little more self-confidence and is starting to apply himself. I know we still have a long way to go, but ADHD Coaching has shown me the light at the end of the tunnel. The staff/tutors are delightful, concerned and compassionate. We look forward to our continued progress and growth with Candace Sahm by our side. P.S. We love the dogs! And, my son looks forward to seeing them every time he visits.”
From a former adult Coaching client:
“Throughout my work with Candace, I felt supported and empowered to effectively manage some of the challenges associated with my ADHD. She helped me to take charge of my schedule by using phone alerts and other devices in my work space. On the days we did not meet, we touched base by phone in the mornings which assisted me in structuring my day and remaining on task. Candace also encouraged me to find work life balance by scheduling time to exercise. She often gave me wonderful Starbucks treats when I reached my goals. A great motivator!”
From a Bullis 11th grader:
“We write lists of what I need to do and plan.” To prepare for the PSAT’s Candace Sahm and the student worked on a step-by-step plan to improve her organization. After doing this, the student was happy to say, “I’m usually late, but this time I was on time with everything I needed.” “Talking to my teachers has gotten exponentially better. Last year I was intimidated to talk to them. Then Candace came with me a few times to explain my ADD. As of right now, I am comfortable talking to my teachers on my own. I really like working with Miss Sahm. She is nice and down to earth, not intimidating. I have ADD and we get a lot done. I find that I’m looking forward to coming instead of dreading it!”
From a former Walt Whitman Parent:
“Just wanted to let you know that we are leaving tomorrow for Ian’s graduation from Monarch School on the 19th. The 20th, he starts at University of Montana, Missoula. He is really ready to get this show on the road. He is a completely different kid, and yet, not. Unbelievable. Thank you for the information you shared with me that got this ball rolling. I am very grateful…”
From a former adult Coaching client:
“As a busy executive and owner of a multi-million dollar company, I travel often and I am currently located outside of the DC metro area. Candace was quite accommodating and agreed to work with me via phone and e-mail. For approximately thirty minutes each week, she assisted me in working on some of the organizational challenges that have hindered me both professionally and personally. I learned some practical strategies that I still use to this day. Candace’s positive nature was refreshing and it helped me to gain greater confidence in my ability to effectively manage my ADHD. Her knowledge of the latest research in the field also led me to explore treatments without medication. I began using omega 3 at Candace’s suggestions and have found it to be extremely helpful. Thank you, Candace.”
From a former adult Coaching client and member of the Support Group:
“As a member of her monthly support group and as a private client, I have benefited from Candace’s extensive knowledge and personal experience in the field. During our private sessions, we spent quite a bit of time working on my daily schedule. This work allowed me to get a better grasp of how to get items ready for the next day so that I do not have to scramble in the morning. It also helped me to figure out a more effective way to plan my meals. I am truly appreciative of Candace and always look forward to the monthly support group.”
“I have known Candace for several years now and observed all the effort she puts into each person who comes through her door. The state of the art materials and technique used by Candace and her tutors cannot be replicated. She is passionate to ensure that each client acquires life sustaining skill sets.”
–Beth Albaneze (House Calls, LLC)
“PLE tutoring has helped me a great deal. I have gained a new-found confidence in math as well as french, two harder areas of study for me. Thanks so much!”
–A Junior at The Field School
“I got 12 out of 12 on the written part of the ACT thanks to my tutor at PLE.”
–PLE Student
“I want to tell you about my grades. I had a D in Geometry and now I’m getting a B! Since I’ve been coming to PLE, I’ve been handing in my homework and doing better on tests.”
–A Sophomore at Walt Whitman High School
“The kids want to be here. The atmosphere is laid back and every one here is working comfortably.”
–A PLE Tutor
“What I think is working is how it is a one-on-one learning experience. Everyone is very helpful and kind. There are necessary materials on hand every day. They feed you!”
–A Freshman at Walt Whitman High School
after improving her geometry grade by two letters
“Thank you so much for calling regarding Brian’s progress. I am very pleased to let you know that Brian has done a complete 180 in US History. He has become much better focused during class, participating and really becoming an asset to the classroom as a whole. An example is we often play jeopardy as a class for review. Brian teamed up with a classmate to be one team and they were able to answer nearly all of the questions posed and even helped other groups to improve or expand upon their answers. Brian has also greatly improved on the quality of work that he is turning in and he appears to have a new found confidence in himself and education. Brian has earned a B for second quarter. Thank you for all of your help and support of Brian. He is on the path to success.”
–A Walt Whitman High School teacher
regarding a PLE student
“Before we started coming to PLE, I had just about lost all hopes of finding a way to help my son be successful in school. I’d thought I’d tried everything and nothing was working. We’ve only been attending tutoring sessions at PLE for a short time, but already I’m seeing slight improvements. He has a little more self-confidence and is starting to apply himself. I know we still have a long way to go, but PLE has shown me the light at the end of the tunnel. The staff/tutors are delightful, concerned and compassionate. We look forward to our continued progress and growth with PLE by our side.P.S. We love the dogs! And, my son looks forward to seeing them every time he visits.”
–Menyone Bowers, mother of a PLE student
Coach Chaney sent his athletes to PLE from 1996 to 2000. He says: “When I was the Boys’ Basketball coach at The Newport School in Kensington, Maryland, Candy Kopit did a fantastic job tutoring some of our top student-athletes that are now college graduates. She did a great job in making sure they were very organized and prepared for any situation that came up in any class. Without Candy our program would not have been one of the best in the nation. At Newport, academics always come first and our program was fortunate to have her with us.”One of Chris’ athletes, T.J. Thompson, now plays basketball for the George Washington University Colonials. Check out his statistics here.
–Coach Chris Chaney, The Patterson School, NC
“My daughter needed one-on-one tutoring for the ACT and her counselor recommended Eric at PLE, especially for Math. She really enjoyed working with Eric because he is patient, thorough in his explanations, and got to know her as an individual so he could teach her in the most effective way for her learning style. Personally, I was also impressed by how Candace took a truly “hands on” interest in my daughter’s success. My daughter appreciated the personal encouragement and support Candace provided as she studied for the ACT.”
–A Walt Whitman junior’s mother
“My son is at the Lab School in Washington, D.C. and he went to PLE from November through the end of the year. He had one private tutoring session and two or three study sessions a week. The study sessions worked out great because he could be in a quiet and supportive atmosphere and get his work done without any distractions from home. The tutoring was a great experience and now Zach uses the tools he learned for this year.”
–A mother about her son
“We write lists of what I need to do and plan.” To prepare for the PSAT’s Candace Kopit and the student worked on a stepby- step plan to improve her organization. After doing this, the student was happy to say, “I’m usually late, but this time I was on time with everything I needed.””Talking to my teachers has gotten exponentially better. Last year I was intimidated to talk to them. Then Candace came with me a few times to explain my ADD. As of right now, I am comfortable talking to my teachers on my own. I really like working with Miss Kopit. She is nice and down to earth, not intimidating. I have ADD and we get a lot done. I find that I’m looking forward to coming instead of dreading it!”
–From a Bullis 11th grader
“My daughter has been on the honor roll ever since she studied with Candace Kopit in the sixth grade. Candace provided her with concrete study and organizational skills which have formed the basis for her successful academic achievements for the last five years.”
–From a Bullis Alumni Parent and teacher
“Candace totally changed my son’s demeanor and attitude about learning,” she says. “It’s been a transformation. Before, he was always meeting with failure because of his learning difference. Now it’s, ‘Let’s go, let’s get to Candy’s.’ And he is willing to put in the hours on his homework.”
–A high school sophomore’s mother
“We get so much attention at PLE. It’s grrreat for our self-esteem!”
–Calvin and Jake
“PLE has helped me get my life organized. Before I came to PLE, my grades were in a slump. I had trouble finding assignments and turning them in on time. PLE helped me change all that. Ms. Kopit helped me learn new ways to study and take notes. I also learned important life skills such as time management and organization. To this date, I still use the techniques I learned at PLE. I take time to schedule all my activities and use checklists to keep up with tasks and make sure that I have everything I need, With PLE, I was able to reach my goals and now, thanks to them, my grades are up to their potential and my life is set on track.”And from Katya’s mother: “Katya is helping disabled kids at school right now, successfully using the techniques she learned from you. Thank you so much for everything you have done for Katya.”
–Katya
“Just wanted to let you know that we are leaving tomorrow for Ian’s graduation from Monarch School on the 19th. The 20th, he starts at University of Montana, Missoula. He is really ready to get this show on the road. He is a completely different kid, and yet, not. Unbelievable. Thank you for the information you shared with me that got this ball rolling. I am very grateful..”
–From a Walt Whitman Alumni’s Parent