Shopping Rye is an occasional feature that introduces you to local businesses. Do you know a local business we should profile? Tell us.
Today meet Michael Covino of Mathnasium at 275 Purchase Street.
Your Name: Michael Covino
Your Role: Owner and Center Director of Mathnasium of Rye
MyRye.com: How long has your business been in Rye, and where are you located?
Covino: Been in Rye for 12 years.
Why did you originally choose Rye for your business?
Covino: I grew up nearby in Port Chester and Rye Brook, spent my high school and college summers as a lifeguard, swim coach and eventually aquatics director at Apawamis, and my parents still lived nearby.
Is this your sole location, or do you have multiple locations?
Covino: Mathnasium is a franchise and I own this franchise in Rye. This is my only location.
Describe your clientele.
Covino: My staff and I work with kids in kindergarten through high school but most of my students are eighth grade and below. We support kids who need help with math as well as students looking for enrichment. Our program works on the types of skills taught in school as well as developing numeracy in kids. As part of our program we help with homework and test prep too.
Describe the environment in your store.
Covino: I am consistently told by parents that we have a fun center. Students, especially the younger ones, enjoy coming and working with our instructors. The center is neither a boot camp nor a library. There is a constant buzz, and energy, with the kids.
Tell us about what you offer.
Covino: We help students get better at math and build self-confidence. We offer a supportive environment where students can catch up on underlying skills that are holding them back in school, get help with homework and prepare for upcoming tests. Students typically attend once or twice a week for an hour each session. During most of the school year we are open six days a week, every day but Friday, and students can attend any of those days. They just sign up online for sessions. I try to be as flexible as possible knowing how busy our kids are.
What’s your busiest time of year?
Covino: Our busiest time of year is January through May, after students get their grades for the first half of the school year.
Tell us about you:
Covino: Prior to opening my business I practiced law for 20 plus years as a commercial litigator at large firms in Manhattan and as a partner at a large New Jersey firm. As time went on, I enjoyed being a lawyer less and less with the constant conflict and long hours. Teaching is my family business (growing up most of my relatives were teachers) and I’ve always loved working with kids, coaching swimming, teaching my kids’ Sunday school and coaching their baseball/softball teams. Both my daughter and son had attended Mathnasium where I live in Chatham, New Jersey and had a great experience there so I investigated the opportunity to open a Mathnasium in Rye and here I am.
Thanks Michael!
