How Allison Gardenswartz went from a political career in Washington, D.C., to owning a San Diego learning center is almost worthy of a movie. After graduating from George Washington University with a degree in public affairs, her career took its first unexpected turn.

“I quickly became disillusioned by the whole DC scene,” says Gardenswartz, now 38. “So I started teaching in inner city schools. My mother was an elementary teacher before she had kids.”

When Gardenswartz’s husband, Daniel, decided to take the bar in California, they moved to San Diego in the summer, too late for her to apply for teaching positions. “So I got a job as a tutor and that led to managing a franchise for another learning center,” she says. “When I left that job, parents asked if they could bring their kids by my house. Within a few months, I had 30 kids and my husband was concerned about liability.”

In 1995, she decided to start The Learning Garden, which specializes in enhancing the learning capabilities of school age children, addresses behavior management strategies in the home and consults with parents on test preparation studies. “Three days after I signed a lease on the center, I found out I was pregnant,” she says. “But being a mom has helped. Parents can talk to you because as a mom, you get it.”

In addition to raising two children in the Mount Helix area, Gardenswartz is involved in I Love A Clean San Diego, the United Jewish Federation’s Youth Leadership Division, the Ben-Gurion Society and the Young Actors Theatre of San Diego. She also writes for the national newsletter “Your Child.”

“I’m a big believer in role modeling for kids,” she says of her highly scheduled life. “I love being busy. I’m just that kind of person.”