Kenisha Skaggs - Founder’s Bio

Kenisha Skaggs is a native of Augusta, Georgia. She attended CT Walker Magnet School and Davidson Fine Arts. She graduated with the CSRA HEA after completing her 9th-12th grade years in a homeschool dual enrollment program at Augusta State University She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Marketing in 2009. She followed her passion for education by tutoring part time for the “No Child Left Behind” initiative. In this program she was assigned to various public housing developments to tutor students that were economically disadvantaged. It became clear that impactful tutoring required more. Busy seat work and computer-based programs weren't engaging; academic gains were minimal.

She created a 'Homeschool Class' in her upstairs attic. She homeschooled students for parents seeking an option for children to learn at their own pace. She returned to school and completed the Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (GA Tapp) Program for her alternative pathway teaching certification. After completing the teaching program, she was offered 2 positions in the public school system. The constraints of the curriculum options for special education students encouraged her to expand her private academy, Soar Academy Augusta. In 2024, the school received its full accreditation from the Georgia Accreditation Commission. Students at Soar Academy receive the GA tax credit scholarship as well as the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship. Today, Kenisha works with hundreds of students annually to ensure both general education students and students with learning disabilities have access to curriculum options and classroom accommodations that best meet their individual needs. Over the past two years Kenisha’s school program has been featured in Forbes, The Cato Institute, The 74 and other national media publications HERE. Soar Academy is a 2022 Yass Prize Finalist Award Recipient. Kenisha Skaggs is a member of the 2024 BES Cohort and plans to open a charter school, Soar Discovery Charter Academy, in the fall of 2026. 

“If students cannot read, they cannot think for themselves; therefore they will be dependent on others to create their success” - Kenisha Skaggs