Exploring Life & Business with Evelyn Morales of ISR of Fayetteville LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Evelyn Morales.

Hi, Evelyn; we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Evelyn Morales. I am known as Eve, and I was born and raised in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. I have lived in North Carolina with my daughter, Ariana, for six years. I have a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s in human resources. In the field of aquatic safety, I hold several certifications, such as Swimming Fitness Instructor Certification, Adaptive Swimming Instructor Certification, Therapy and Aquagym by PIVE; First Aid CPR/AED for Adults, Children, and Infants; Lifeguard Training, and Water Safety for the American Red Cross. In 2010, when my daughter was just six months old, I started looking for swimming lessons and discovered the Infant Swimming Resource program, dedicated to aquatic survival for babies from six months to six years old. After three years of financial planning, I became certified as an instructor and began offering classes in the southern area of Puerto Rico. After trying several locations, I finally settled in the metropolitan area in 2016 to reach more people. Unfortunately, a year later, in September 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated the island, leaving it without electrical service, water, and communications. Given this chaotic situation, some relatives living in North Carolina invited me to their home until the situation in Puerto Rico was restored.

While still in Puerto Rico, I began to establish a social media presence for my business and to spread the word about the program in the Fayetteville area. At that time, I discovered that there were no Infant Swimming Resource instructors in the area, so there was a clear need to educate and promote our mission to prevent further drowning tragedies, this being the leading cause of death in children ages one to four. In April 2018, a mother interested in classes for her child contacted me, and although I did not yet have a place to offer the classes, she, without knowing me, offered me her pool and invited her friends so that the children could benefit from the course. At that time, I had no means of transportation and used Uber to get there daily, which gave birth to my first group of students in Fayetteville, NC.

After several failed attempts to rent space in an indoor or outdoor pool, I decided to purchase an above-ground pool and set it up in the backyard of my aunt’s house. Although this was only a temporary solution, as I later secured an in-ground pool that would allow for classes without height or age restrictions, I currently have two locations: in the spring and fall, I offer classes in Raeford exclusively for babies six to fifteen months old, in an indoor hot tub. During the summer, I am in Fayetteville, in an in-ground pool suitable for all ages.

It’s been ten years of constant challenges, but every stage has been enriching and rewarding. Running a business is not easy, but not impossible either; it requires discipline, perseverance, and a support network, which, in my case, has been provided by my family, friends, and even customers. I aspire to have my indoor pool and more instructors to impact more children in the community and continue our mission, “Not One More Child Drowns.”

It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There is no doubt that the journey has been arduous. Still, it has been worth every effort, from the dedication to saving money to obtain my certification as an instructor to the long hours spent studying for theoretical and practical training in English. Finding a suitable location with aquatic facilities and attracting potential clients in Puerto Rico represented significant challenges. Then, moving to a new destination where language is not my strength and starting from scratch in the search for clients, without transportation and without knowing anyone, as well as adapting to a culture significantly different from my own, has been a process that has allowed me to grow and become stronger.

I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about the ISR of Fayetteville LLC?
ISR is a world leader in the industry. It pioneered in 1966 with survival swimming lessons for babies and toddlers. Highly trained ISR instructors provide the safest and most effective survival swimming lessons. Our mission, “Not One More Child Drowns,” is the foundation of everything we do to prevent the leading cause of accidental death for children under age 4 in the U.S.

To date, we have delivered over 19,000,000 ISR self-rescue lessons. ISR believes in multiple layers of defense against water accidents, including pool fencing, alarms, and active adult supervision. However, traditional lines of defense are crumbling, and the more than 4,000 drowning deaths each year are a grim testament to the fact that traditional approaches are missing a key component: the child. ISR’s core belief is that the child is the most important part of a drowning prevention strategy. Children are curious and capable and can overcome obstacles like hurdles; at ISR, we take that skill and teach them skills to save themselves if they find themselves alone in the water.

ISR’s unique results are achieved through fully personalized, safe, and effective one-on-one lessons with only the student and instructor in the water. What the child will learn and how she will learn makes ISR different from traditional swim lessons. Since statistics show that 83% of children who drown are clothed during the last week of school, under the supervision of the instructor, each student has the opportunity to practice their water survival skills in their daily clothing. Additionally, we offer instruction to parents within the aquatic environment, outlining guidelines on appropriate and inappropriate practices for infant’s interaction with the marine environment.

Fayetteville ISR offers service from March through October, Monday through Friday, at Raeford and Fayetteville. Committed to the community, we provide a special discount for lifeguards in gratitude for their service. To reduce drowning incidents, we collaborate with the “Live Like Jake” foundation to help minimize lesson costs for those in need financially.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
In this journey, having a solid support network has been critical, and I express my deep appreciation to all the people who have contributed in various ways to my business. I thank God, my family, friends, all the pool hosts, colleagues, and business owners who have supported me. Finally, I want to thank my customers for trusting me and allowing me to teach their children water self-rescue skills. With their trust and support, my business has achieved success so far.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.isrfayetteville.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isrfayetteville?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isrfayetteville?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelyn-morales-5b9626b0/

Image Credits
ISR of Fayetteville and Infant Swimming Resource