For Donesa Walker, owner of LearningRx and Homeschool Helpers, education has always been a calling versus a job. “I’m a preacher’s kid, and I truly believe it’s God’s design that I’m doing what I’m doing. I believe it’s my mission field and my calling to reach out and help other people with learning issues no matter what their age,” she said. Walker was a teacher for over 20 years, and during that time saw many kids struggling and wanted to help them. “I was a reading specialist, specifically with dyslexia. Dyslexia ran in my family, and so I wanted to see what kind of difference I could make,” she said. “I partnered with LearningRx and bought a franchise in 2007, and opened the first one in the state of Louisiana in 2008. We grew pretty rapidly and have been the number one center in the nation out of 80 centers,” Walker said. LearningRx in Shreveport has not only been the number one center in the country since 2009, they have also been ranked number one in customer service. They were also the recipients of the Small Business of the Year award from The Forum and City Life Magazine in 2012. LearningRx works to help those who have struggled with focus, ADD, or even those who have suffered brain injuries, side effects from chemotherapy, stroke or the early onset of dementia. “We use brain training, where we identify the weaknesses in the brain and retrain those areas of weakness. For example, if you have a child who struggles in math, it could be because of a weak logic and reasoning skill, and we identify where the weakness is and we treat it,” LearningRx works with clients of all ages. “There’s a lot of people who struggle with attention and focus in our world today. Over 40% of the people who come to us get off ADD meds,” she said. “It’s very cool to watch lives change.” Walker has helped change many lives through LearningRx, and hopes to be more of a force in education through her new business, Homeschool Helpers. “A lot of the things I didn’t know initially I hired professionals who did know so that I could learn. I hired a business coach, I hired someone to help me with marketing. As I learned the skills I didn’t have to keep them long-term. I trained my brain to learn the new skills,” she said. “Whatever you’re weak at, hire someone to train you to strengthen that. I believe in a full body fitness and a full mind fitness. You won’t know the ropes right off the bat, but you can learn from other women who have forged the way for you.”