In the Business of Dreams
Sunday, July 29, 2001

Rossana Llenado has made a thriving business of helping people
prepare for life’s big tests – school admission tests, that is

A PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE, THE DESIRE TO HELP, THE COURAGE TO PURSUE A DREAM – THESE ARE THE INGREDIENTS BEHIND THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT OF ROSSANA L. LLENADO, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF AHEAD TUTORIAL AND REVIEW CENTER AND NOW SCHOOL DIRECTOR OF THE PREPARATION FOR THE WORLD AHEAD PRE-SCHOOL, MORE FAMILIARLY KNOWN AS WORLDPREP.

Ever since she abandoned employment in the corporate world to establish Ahead in 1995, Llenado has been in the business of helping people achieve their goals. At Ahead, that means helping them get into the college or university of their choice.

“Ahead is actually a pioneer in the review course service, for while there are indeed older organizations in the industry, they were more focused on tutorials, not reviews,” says Llenado of the organization she founded as a spin-off of Brain Train, which was set up 11 years ago in Los Banos, Laguna by her mother, Angelina Ladaga.

It all began when Llenado’s younger sister Rogeline was about to take the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT). Their mother prepared Rogeline and about 15 others by holding review classes in the living room of their own house.

In 1997, Llenado established Ahead’s first branch in Kapitolyo, Pasig. The company has since become a leader in the industry, registering the highest “batting average” as far as entry into the UP, Ateneo and De La Salle college admission tests is concerned.

Whether through review or tutorials, Ahead’s philosophy, as the company name suggests, has been about giving students a competitive edge. As with Ahead, WorldPrep’s basic philosophy is that of preparing students for competition. It implements an innovative curriculum, with its classes conducted by competent and caring faculty members. Air-conditioned classrooms, top-of-the-line computer facilities, and a school-in-a-park environment make education at WorldPrep not only meaningful but enjoyable as well. Operations at Ahead have led to such spin-offs as Ahead Books and Things, whose most successful ventures have been the highly-praised Score Higher in UPCAT (and other college entrance tests) and With Honors, a valuable resource book for prospective college entrants published in cooperation with the Infoquest Research Group.

For inquiries on Ahead and WorldPrep programs, call 426-0029, 426-0030 or 426-0034.