Jamie Nelson is excited to be working with the awesome kids at ELA.  She was born and raised in Chicagoland but moved west to finish high school.  She graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a degree in Elementary Education.  Jamie has spent the past 13 years teaching the kids in the community of Kearns, Utah.  She enjoyed teaching fourth grade for 10 years and then kindergarten for the past three. 

As the mother of four kids, Jamie is often found playing legos, reading books, coloring, or at the park.  When she has a minute to herself she enjoys reading, participating in theater and singing.  She is excited for a great year!

Naomie Williams is a proud graduate from Utah State University with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. This is her first year as a teacher and she couldn't be more thrilled to be teaching kindergarten! Her love for learning and building relationships is clear in her teaching style and she is passionate about making every child feel safe, confident, and empowered to succeed (while having lots of fun in the process)! She is so excited to learn and grow with the amazing ELA community. 

With her husband and super-cute dog, Naomie loves to hike, enjoy movies and TV shows, camp, make art, travel, and read.

Janel began her career in 2007 for the Jordan School District. A graduate of Brigham Young University--Idaho in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education, she taught special education and then kindergarten at Oquirrh Elementary before coming to Early Light Academy in 2015. As the second child of eleven kids, working with young children has always been a part of her life. She applies her personal as well as professional experience into her teaching and loves to see her first graders learn and grow. Janel loves movies, popcorn, the color pink, sewing, visiting her family in central Pennsylvania where she was born and raised, and spending time with her husband and two children, Tommy and Isabella.

Sarah lives in Herriman with her husband, 2 children, a great Pyrenees named Hank, and 2 cats named Carl & Winnie. She loves, Beauty and the Beast, musicals, iced tea, collecting mugs and traveling anywhere warm.

Sydnee Harris was born in Salt Lake City, she has been married for 23 years, and has 4 children, 1 of which is attending ELA this year.  She has worked in the professional field of property management for several years.  Sydnee has always volunteered in her children's classrooms and wanted to be more involved in the school system.  She is new to the Early Light staff, and is excited to get to know the students.  

In her leisure time she  loves to read, bake, enjoys family time with good food, go for walks, play games with her family, and watch movies.  One of her favorite past times is to attend musicals with her daughters and soccer games with her son.

Abby Berry is a recent high school graduate from Herriman High School. While there she also was part of the Teacher Education Program at Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers. Abby is excited to start her teaching journey at the school that started her education journey. She went to ELA the first year it opened starting in kindergarten and continued until her graduation from 9th grade. 

Carolyn Walker is excited to join the literacy team and read with students at Early Light Academy! She grew up and then raised her six sons by the beaches of sunny Southern California. In 1996 the family moved to Utah where she discovered snow, taught children’s literature and college success courses at UVU, and became a reading specialist/coach for grades K-6.

She is passionate about literacy and believes helping children read effectively is the key to them becoming independent, enthusiastic, life-long learners!

Amy Naylor enjoys teaching first grade at Early Light Academy. First grade has always been her favorite grade to teach. Amy comes from a long line of educators ranging from teachers, a superintendent, and a college professor who started the philosophy department at the University of Utah. Her grandmother, a reading teacher, was passionate about education and literacy. This grandmother became Amy’s inspiration as a child to follow in her footsteps and become a teacher.

She grew up in Sandy, Utah and now resides in Herriman. Amy and her husband, Steve, have a house in Rosecrest, an area of Herriman. She has lived in Utah her whole life.

Amy has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Elementary Education and a minor in TESL, Teaching English as a Second Language, from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. She worked hard and graduated with honors. Amy plans on getting her Master’s degree in Education within a few years. She completed her student teaching experience in a full day kindergarten class at Horizon Elementary in Murray. Also, she had several placements through the course of her education in elementary schools within Salt Lake, Jordan, and Murray school districts. While at Westminster, she volunteered as a reading tutor at Hawthorne Elementary in Salt Lake City and was a member of Exceptional Griffins.  She is working on her math endorsement.

Outside of education and teaching, Amy enjoys gardening, camping, skiing, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.

Amy is driven to assess and value multiple intelligences and individualize the way students learn to better meet their individual needs. She strives to create an environment in her class that fosters a love of learning, inquiry, a sense of belonging, and reinforces individual self-worth. Students will often collaborate with their peers and ultimately create a classroom community. Amy values the parent, teacher, and student partnership. She looks forward to working closely with parents and students alike. She believes that by doing these things, students can know at an early age that success can be theirs. Students can then continue the rest of their years of school with confidence.

Kristi Maples worked in the medical field for 22 years before earning her teaching degree and joining Early light academy in 2020. Kristi attended Western Governors University where she graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in education.

Kristi was born and raised in Pocatello, Idaho where her and her 5 siblings would spend countless hours outdoors camping, hiking, and fishing. Kristi moved to Utah in 1996 to raise her family and enjoy the many outdoor adventures that Utah had to offer. Kristi loves to travel and has been to 28 of the US states, and 5 different countries. Kristi also enjoys working in her garden, watching movies, and playing with her granddaughter.

Kristi is passionate about reading and loves to share her passion with all of her students.

Marisol Pizarro was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. She moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida with her family in 1999 to continue her studies. She graduated from Florida International University (FIU) in 2005 as an Early Childhood Educator with ESOL Endorsements. She has been a teacher for more than 16 years. She worked in a private Montessori school for ten years and then she decided to take a different path working in a charter school for the past 4 years.

She has one son that is 16 and will be starting his junior year. He is planning to attend NYU to achieve his engineering career. 

She has two adorable cats, Tiger and Bonita, she loves playing and cuddling with them. 

Her hobbies are listening to music, shopping, dining out, attending to concerts, and watching movies/series.

Marisol Pizarro’s passion and dedication for educating students have been evident since she was a young girl. She enjoyed playing with her cousins “The Little School” and guess who was the teacher… she was!

Shannon Zimmerman is originally from Torrance, California and loved getting to grow up near the ocean. She graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a bachelors degree in elementary education. 

Shannon always knew that she wanted to be a teacher and is forever grateful for the teachers in her life who cared and believed in her. They also taught her the importance of working hard and never giving up. Inspired by their example, she wanted to make that difference in her students’ lives. She is excited to join the Early Light team and continue to help enrich students’ educations. 

When she’s not teaching, Shannon enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, watching plays and spending time with her family and friends. 

Becka Groendyke considers working at Early Light Academy an extraordinary adventure. Becka began this journey at the Junior High as a Special Education Teaching Assistant over twelve years ago. Grateful to be a part of this environment, she accepted a full time position as a 4th Grade Educator in 2014-2020. She is currently working as a Co-Teacher in the First Grade with Mrs. Naylor.  

Becka was reared in Idaho Falls, Idaho. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Science in Education. Becka taught in the Granite School District for thirteen years. She also pursued other dreams and became a Flight Attendant for Delta Airlines, a Hostess for the Marriott Concierge, and a student at Westminster of Salt Lake City, where she earned a Master's Degree in Education.

Becka is married to Rick Groendyke and together they have one son, Noah.  Becka finds pleasure in simplistic beauty...quiet moments, supermoons, billowing clouds, the sound of thunder. It is in the small minute details of daily life,  that she becomes keenly aware of the breathtaking “WOW” moments.  Becka’s passion is sharing those moments of awe with her students. Her strength is being able to see the worth of an individual and having the desire to be an instrument in assisting others in the discovery of their innate potential. 

Ariana has always loved being around kids and is so excited to be working with first grade! Aside from working at ELA, she is also a photographer and videographer. If she's not at work you can always find her with a camera on hand. 

When she has the time, Ariana loves traveling, hiking, snowboarding, soccer, running, and anything else that involves the outdoors and sunshine. She is so excited to be back teaching at her childhood school.

Jennifer DuCharme was raised in Riverton, Utah. Both of her parents were school teachers and she spent countless hours helping in the classroom. She graduated from Bingham High School, Ricks College with an associates degree in Elementary Education, and Utah State University with a degree in Elementary Education and an emphasis in Language Arts. She taught school in Cache Valley and Bluffdale. She is married and has 3 children. Education has always been a very important part of her life. She quit teaching to raise her kids but was very involved in their schools. She loves sewing and reading. She hopes to pass her knowledge and enthusiasm for reading along to the wonderful first graders at ELA.

Mary graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor degree in Humanities and minor in Art History. Though Art History remains one of her passions, she has developed an enthusiasm for education through her involvement with the creation of Early Light Academy. During the first year of ELA, Mary had the opportunity to work on the Fine Arts Committee, allowing her to help establish a strong tradition of art integration at ELA including Tanner Dance, Art Inspirations Program, Art in a Box, and the University of Utah ArtsBridge Film Project. In May of 2015 she finished a 5 year term serving on the Board of ELA. 

As the mother of six, children—Mary is actively involved in her children’s education and has loved the occasion to help in the classroom. Her favorite was teaching the Great Artist Program in her kids’ classes. She enjoys teaching children in a variety of capacities and has a great admiration for teachers, their many talents and the many hours they spend on behalf of their students. Mary finished out the 2017 school year teaching 4th grade, spent a few years as a substitute teacher, taught 5th grade full-time, then landed in 2nd grade full-time in 2020. She loves 2nd grade and ELA! 

Mary’s other passions include reading, swimming, water polo, soccer, basketball and choir (basically, whatever her kids are involved in). 

Rebecca Woodard is looking forward to another great year at ELA! She has been teaching the second grade at ELA since our opening in 2009. She thinks it's so much fun seeing her former students in the hallways and watching everyone grow up!

Mrs. Woodard was born and raised in West Virginia. She graduated from Fairmont State University in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. Before coming to ELA, Mrs. Woodard had experience working as a classroom aide, teaching preschool, substituting, and working with the Boys and Girls Club of America. She moved to Utah in 2008 with her husband, Chris, after living the Army life in Colorado Springs.

Megan Morris was born and raised in the state of Washington. At the age of 16, she moved to Utah with her family. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Utah Valley University with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. She is married to Taylor Morris,  who is a 2018 Winter Olympian. Together they have a daughter named Emery, a son named Jordan,  and two cats. 

 Her love for learning began when she was an elementary student. Her passion for teaching began in high school when she tutored her high school friends in their studies.

 Megan Morris taught a third grade class at Early Light Academy for the 2015-2016, school year  In 2016, she moved to New York State to support her husband as he trained with the USA National Luge team. She substitute-taught and traveled to many new places throughout that year she spent in New York. She missed teaching so much that she just had to move back to teach again and to be with the ELA family! Ever since 2017, Megan has taught here at ELA in third and in second grade. 

 Megan's interests include: hiking, running, reading, watching movies, and cooking. One of her biggest goals is to make learning fun for all of her students. She believes that it is important for all students to be taught independence, communication skills, leadership skills, confidence, and perseverance. Her goal is for every student to feel successful and proud of their work. Her mission is to have all of her students graduate second grade with a passion for learning, the drive to be successful, and the confidence to move on to third grade. 

Anjeanette (AJ) Armstrong takes pride in bringing passion and enthusiasm to the classroom, discovering new and better ways to teach, and helping others reach their potential. She strives to have a positive impact on self-esteem and building confidence in others.

AJ attended Western Governors University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resource Management and a Master of Education degree in Learning and Technology. She is also certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR).

During her career she has developed acumen in various facets of the HR industry, yet found her passion in learning and development. Her previous experience teaching 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Managers, and Teens provided her the background necessary to oversee and teach the Leader in Me program at Early Light Academy. She’s a lifelong learner who promotes continuous improvement and strives to inspire others to stretch and build their knowledge and skill sets.

In January 2018, she received the KSL Newsradio and Zions Bank's Teacher Feature Award. In October 2018, she received Early Light Academy's Teacher of the Year Award as recognized by South Jordan Chamber of Commerce.

When she’s not teaching, you’ll find her with her family at the movies, on the golf course, hitting the slopes, or exploring a new city or island. She loves to work hard and play hard and encourages others to do the same.

AJ enjoys teaching at Early Light Academy and looks forward to her eighth year of creating many great experiences and memories for her students!

Born and raised in Utah, Erin Coates has lived in Herriman for seventeen years with her husband; together they have three wonderful children. She has enjoyed being a stay at home mom for the past 13 years while giving her time and crafting skills to various school projects and assisted living facilities. Spending time with these children and older adults while volunteering has been an amazing opportunity that she has adored. Her hobbies include, but are not limited to, card making, sewing, baking and especially reading. Reading has always been a passion for Erin and she is excited to share this love of reading with the students here at Early Light Academy.

Noelle Hennick attended Southern Methodist University and Boise State University and graduated with a Bachelors in Psychology with an emphasis in Behavioral and Developmental Disorders of Childhood. Since then she has worked primarily with children and teens in a variety of settings. Noelle’s first love was dance and she ran and taught the Lower Academy of Dance at Ballet Idaho for several years. Noelle also worked with at risk teens in shelter settings and later transitioned to working with families and young children with developmental delays and intense behavioral issues. 

A mother to three boys, Noelle is constantly on the run or rather her bike. Noelle loves to road bike but is often found out on the trails mountain biking with her husband and kids. When she does get a moment to relax it’s with a good book and a Swig drink!

Naomi has been at Early Light Academy since 2014. She graduated from NMSU in 1994 and taught nine years in NM. She moved to Utah in 2002 and in 2005 started substituting for the Jordan School District. She has taught first grade for eight years and now teaches third grade. In the eight years she substituted in the Jordan District, she has had a long term sub job in every grade from K-6. In 2014, she knew it was time for her to have her own classroom and ELA was the perfect place for that classroom. She has always been an advocate of Charter Schools and could not wait to start.  In all of the years that she has been at ELA, she has come to love the Charter School life and the family ELA is.

Naomi is married to Les and has two children, Kelsie and Lucas. In her free time, she enjoys reading and camping. However, most of her free time is spent watching kids play soccer. She has volunteered with Copper Mountain Soccer Club for years and can often be found watching a team of eight year olds play soccer.  Her goal is to see all 50 states.

Her sense of humor spills over into her classroom and she enjoys laughing and learning with her students. Nothing makes her happier than to see a student fall in love with reading. She looks forward to meeting each one of you and spending the next year making some really cool third grade memories.

After 15 years teaching kindergarten and first grade, Ms. Annie Taylor looks forward to new adventures teaching third grade! Ms. Taylor welcomes the opportunity to make up for lost time with some former students... courtesy of the pandemic.

Ms. Taylor has met some amazing parents already and anticipates meeting many more in the upcoming years. Ms. Taylor appreciates the parent involvement that comes with charter schools and hopes to have regular and positive engagement with her students’ parents. 

In her free time, Ms. Taylor enjoys biking, reading, spending time with family/ friends and travel. She has a good sense of humor and genuinely loves children, and loves helping them learn and grow. Ms. Taylor raised two children who are both working. Although neither of her children has children yet, Ms. Taylor dreams of having grandchildren at some point in the future.

Ms. Taylor cannot wait to level up her love of reading and math; and introduce and explore abstract concepts with a more mature student body. She hopes to continue to foster a feeling of joy at school and a love for learning in general. 

Stacey was born in Denver, Colorado and has lived in many different locations throughout the US. She recently moved from Doylestown, Pennsylvania to South Jordan, Utah. Utah is by far the most beautiful place she has ever lived!

Stacey received her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Social Studies from Salisbury University located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  Upon graduation she began her teaching career in Lawrence Township Public Schools, New Jersey where she taught 4th grade for 10 years. Fun fact- she taught in the same school she attended as a child! Stacey has also spent many years of her life at the pool, either in the pool as a swimmer or on the deck as a coach. 

In her free time Stacey enjoys spending time with her children and her husband. She has 7 year old twin girls who will be in 2nd grade at ELA, a step daughter who recently graduated from University of Pittsburgh and a step son who attends West Chester University. Traveling is Stacey's top hobby and her favorite destinations thus far have been Italy, Turks & Caicos and Nashville. 

Stacey is looking forward to getting back into the classroom and continuing her education career in 3rd grade!

Derek LeDoux is a graduate of Brigham Young University-Idaho, and has a degree in Elementary Education. Derek has experience teaching in his native city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he worked as an elementary school teacher for four years. As a Wisconsin native, Derek enjoys cheering for all Wisconsin sports teams, and especially for the NBA Champion, Milwaukee Bucks. 

In his free time, he enjoys running and biking out in nature, and enjoying the Utah scenery. Derek is passionate about education and helping students achieve success.

Shauna Price was born in California but as the daughter of a Colonel in the Army, she lived all over the world. Her father retired in Los Angeles, California and that is where Shauna graduated from high school. She also graduated from Ricks College with an Associates of Arts Degree and then attended the University of Utah, majoring in Political Science & History.

Shauna and her husband have three awesome boys, ages 22, 20 and 15. They have attended ELA since its opening year. They have lived in the South Jordan area for 21 years.

Shauna enjoys reading, shopping, attending plays and concerts and watching her kids play sports.

Jennifer Ashby was born and raised in the Salt Lake Valley.  She graduated from Utah State University with degrees in Early Childhood and Elementary Education and a minor in English. Following graduation she taught kindergarten and fourth grade in Granite School District. After four years of teaching she moved with her husband to Texas and started a family. She volunteered often at her daughters’ schools and enjoyed helping the teachers and students. While her two daughters were in middle school and high school, her family moved to Bogota, Colombia and Muscat, Oman. She enjoyed experiencing different cultures and making friends from around the world. In 2014 her family moved back to Utah and she became a kindergarten aide in Jordan School District, followed by a first grade teacher the following year. She loves to read, cook, hike, and spend time with family and friends. Jennifer is excited to bring her love of learning and reading to Early Light and working with the teachers and students!

Mary Anne attended Jordan High School in Sandy, Utah and went on to Weber State University where she was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Technical Sales. She holds a K-6 Professional Level teaching license through the Utah State Board of Education.

Prior to having children, Mary Anne and her husband spent two years in the Japanese Alps, teaching English in area elementary and junior high schools for the Japanese Board of Education. Upon returning home, She worked at Franklin Covey as a sales executive, consulting with clients to facilitate trainings and educational coaching for The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

She has loved the idea of Early Light Academy from the beginning and even served on the acquisition and safety committees as construction on the school commenced. Her oldest daughter was in the first grade when ELA opened its doors. Later, in 2013-2014, when her youngest entered first grade, she was hired as a substitute teacher. Soon after that, she was asked to join the Special Education department, where she spent thousands of hours working with students from kindergarten to 9th grade. In 2017, she got the chance to join the 4th grade team and has absolutely loved working with the students and teachers there. 

Mary Anne's educational philosophy centers on the belief that every child has unlimited potential and as such, has a right to respect, love, and kindness in her classroom. She has high expectations for every student, but she also realizes that each student is on his or her own journey and she will honor their social and educational victories accordingly. Mary Anne loves children. She loves the energy they exude. She loves the honesty and genuine friendship they offer. Her goal is to help her students gain a love and passion for learning, personal growth, and accountability.

During her spare time, she enjoys working in her flowerbeds and watching her roses grow. She also loves dark chocolate, reading, and going to the movies (just to eat the popcorn!). She and her husband, Matt have 3 fantastic children, all of whom have attended ELA. 

Allison Villastrigo (Vee-uh-stree-go) grew up in Boise, Idaho and attended college in her home state. She earned a BA in Psychology and MA in Teaching from The College of Idaho.  Allison enjoyed traveling to Europe and studying abroad in Australia as a part of her studies.  Attending a small college, Allison learned the value of a strong community, an open mind, and listening to a variety of perspectives in education.  She seeks to create that same kind of close-knit, caring community of smart, objective thinkers in the classroom each year. 

Allison has had the privilege of working with unforgettable children from 2nd to 6th grade in Idaho, Washington, and Utah schools, since she began teaching in 2007. There is nothing that brings her more joy than synergizing with students each day, especially relishing a good book as a classroom community. She seeks to help students learn that they can persist through and even enjoy difficult concepts or tasks and is always trying to find a way to keep things engaging for kids.  

Allison is delighted to be a part of the Early Light Academy team.  Though she has taught at some really phenomenal schools, ELA stands out as one of the best of the best.  She loves the history focus and the aim for a more well-rounded education at the school.  Her whole family, including bubbly 5th grader, Cora, quick-witted 8th grader, Miles, only slightly grey-haired husband, Drew, and [mostly] angelic and adored dog, Ernie enjoy the community here!  Allison is grateful to be a part of the fabulous fourth grade team and is looking forward to another wonderful year.  

Kelly is from Los Angeles and attended a private boarding school in New Mexico for High School. She first decided to become a teacher after working there after graduation. While working there, she taught the teacher's children and gave horseback riding lessons.

Kelly went to the University at Weber State, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. After working in Weber School District, she is excited to join the team at Early Light Academy for 2022/2023.

In her free time is enjoys cooking and crafts of all types.

Mariah is new to Early Light Academy this year and is so excited to be here! She has loved to teach ever since her first job, teaching piano lessons to neighbor kids. Mariah previously taught 2nd grade, and has a degree from BYU in elementary education with minors in music and English teaching.

In her free time, Mariah loves knitting, watching movies, making Japanese food, and playing board games with her husband of 2 years.

Hattie was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah sandwiched in the middle of five kids.  She attended Granger High School where she developed a love of art and music.  She later went on to attend the University of Utah (go Utes!!!) where she majored in Sociology with a certificate in Criminology.

Hattie has worked for two major flooring companies in their respective accounting departments, but really fell in love with the education system having volunteered many times at Early Light Academy for the classes of her two beautiful girls who attend Early Light Academy.  Hattie really enjoys working as a 4th grade aide and loves the students she works with.  

During her spare time she enjoys spending time with her kids, the great outdoors, puzzles, legos, listening to podcasts, enjoying music (she plays the piano and loves to sing), games, reading, enjoying a good meal and spending time with family. She is also a sports fan who enjoys supporting the Utes and Utah Jazz.

Kathy was born and raised in Salt Lake. She has lived in Riverton the last 20 years with her husband and three kids all of whom attended ELA.  She loves being involved in all of their activities and her favorite job has been a stay at home Mom for the last 14 years and helping in classrooms.

She loves being surrounded by the mountains and spending time hiking, camping, and riding ATVs with her family. She enjoys traveling, good food, going to movies, game nights with family and getting lost in a good book. She is excited to work with the students at ELA and hopes to help them in becoming better readers and share her passion for reading

Anna first learned of her love for teaching while volunteering in her daughter's classroom, and decided to pursue her license through the Alternate Routes to Licensure program. She hasn't looked back! Anna graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in French and a Minor in Business. Prior to teaching 5th grade at Early Light Academy, she taught 1st grade at Bastian Elementary and STEM Education at Daybreak Elementary.

Anna loves Early Light Academy, and is passionate about making learning engaging and fun, and ensuring her classroom is a safe and inclusive environment where all students can thrive.

Anna resides in South Jordan with her husband, two children, a rambunctious cocker spaniel, and two unfriendly parakeets. She enjoys movies, dogs, running, sarcasm, yoga, Diet Coke, music, Harry Potter, sea otters, manual shift vehicles, nature, art, bad jokes and Europe, in no particular order.

Katharine discovered her love of teaching and children while teaching piano lessons to elementary-aged kids in her neighborhood in California. While she started her college career at BYU-Idaho as a music major, she soon learned that her true passion lay in the teaching. Katharine graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a minor in History Education.

When she is not teaching, Katharine enjoys reading (historical fiction is a favorite), playing the piano, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, chocolate, hotdogs, and playing all kinds of games. One day, Katharine plans to write children’s books and spend time traveling to as many countries as she can.

Katharine believes that learning and laughter go hand in hand, and one of her biggest goals is to create a safe classroom environment that supports out-of-the-box thinking, peer collaboration, and patient perseverance. She is looking forward to a fantastic year at Early Light Academy!

Abigail has moved around her entire life, 12 times to be exact, including two foreign countries. This trial taught her how to make effective relationships and to be accommodating in a variety of situations. She is also the third oldest out of eight children in her family!

She recently graduated from Brigham Young University- Idaho with a Bachelor's of Science in Elementary Education with a minor in Mathematics. Unlike most teachers, Abigail never intended to return to the school system. While attempting to find her calling in life, she took a math class in college and began tutoring fellow students. Seeing the light in her peers' eyes as they understood the material was incredibly fulfilling and hence the reason she fell in love with teaching.

Matika Rasmussen grew up in Meridian, Idaho on a small “hobby farm” where she helped her family raise milk cows, sheep, pigs, llamas, chickens, emus, peacocks, cats, dogs, a skunk, and any other animals she could convince her parents to keep. 

She loves being outside, whether it be working in a garden, climbing trees, playing sports or hiking mountains.

In April of 2021, she graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho where she majored in Elementary Education with a minor in Mathematics.  She loves learning new languages and getting to know different cultures.  This was sparked by the time she spent living in Chile and learning the Spanish language.  She is excited to begin teaching and learning with her students this year.

Heather Inama (ee-nah-ma) grew up in Washington State where her love for seafood and fresh produce was ingrained. There will always be something special about the smell of salt water and eating a strawberry the size of your hand. 

Heather attended Brigham Young University-Idaho and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Music. Her instrument was her voice and to this day it is one of her favorite outlets. She can be seen belting out a balled in the car by herself when it’s time to de-stress and get centered. Music has always held a special place in her heart since she started voice lessons at 12 years old and continued them through college graduation. Not only does Heather enjoying singing and listening to music but loves all concerts, musicals, theater performances, and the arts of all kinds. 

Heather sees herself as a very creative person who enjoys making her surroundings beautiful and inviting for herself and others. In her professional career she has worked at the University level as an academic advisor and loved the opportunity to help students on their road to accomplishing their degrees. She also held a position working at the University level with students who had run into academic difficulties and needed to petition to return to school and finish their degrees. This experience taught Heather compassion, understanding, and love for those who are struggling and gave her a strong desire to help those who are struggling get the tools they need to truly be successful in an academic setting. During this time she was able to work with her teams and come up with a new supportive and comprehensive training for the school that would allow students to be more aware of the resources they had at their disposal and give them real support on their academic journey. 

While Heather’s husband was attending The Ohio State University for graduate school she had the opportunity to support various Oncology Physicians and fell in love with Ohio and the Buckeye life (GO Bucks!) O-H-I-O. After two beautiful years in Ohio Heather and her husband were blessed to adopt their daughter. Her daughter attends ELA and it’s so fun for Heather to spot her on the playground and be able to come to school together in the mornings. 

When Heather isn’t at school she loves to make weekend trips with her family, host a bbq or party, go to the movies, seek out a new restaurant, and experience new areas of Utah she hasn’t experienced yet. Heather loves organization and efficiency and can actually be found cleaning out and organizing a closet for fun. One of her favorite stores is the Container Store :) 

Heather has a passion for education and loves the opportunity to support the classroom and help all students at ELA succeed!

Shayna is thrilled to be joining the ELA staff. She has been substitute teaching for the last two years and has loved working with the amazing students at Early Light (including her own four children who have all attended).She is always up for adventure and loves learning.

Shayna enjoys yoga, playing tennis, traveling anywhere and everywhere, and reading. But most of all, she loves spending time with her family and friends.

Rebecca Lambert grew up in American Fork, UT and graduated Magna Cum Laude from BYU with her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education.  She loves teaching 6th grade at Early Light Academy!

Rebecca enjoys learning about everything!  Science, history, programming, drama, art, music, math, engineering, language arts- you name it!  She is excited to nurture a love of learning in her students this year.

In her free time, Rebecca loves reading, hiking, watching cartoons, playing board games, making people laugh, performing with her clarinet, playing basketball, and hanging out with friends and family.

Cindy graduated from University of Phoenix in 2011 with a bachelors degree in elementary education and has taught for 9 years.  She is the proud mother of 2 girls and 2 boys and proud step mom of 2 boys.  Cindy got married in 2020 to a wonderful guy.  

She enjoys listening to audiobooks and watching movies.  Among her favorite authors are JK Rowling, Brandon Sanderson, and JRR Tolkien.  

Cindy’s sixth grade teacher was her favorite.  She is excited to teach sixth grade this year and can’t wait to get to know her students.

Mr. Matson has over fifteen years of teaching experience as a sixth grade teacher. Mr. Matson loves being outdoors. One of his favorite activities is biking. In the evenings he enjoys going on walks with his wife, Becky. He also enjoys cooking, playing games, and reading.

Ms. Harris graduated from Brigham Young University- Provo with a bachelors in Education and minors in both Art and one in Teaching English in a Second Language. She believes that art, creativity, and expressing oneself is critical when learning in a scholastic setting and when exploring and engaging with the world.

When Ms. Harris is not teaching, she spends every moment she can outside. With a deep love of climbing, hiking, trail running, and biking, she spends most of her summer months exploring the outdoors. 

She is excited to meet the 6th grade students at Early Light Academy!

Working in the Parks and Recreation department, Kimberly coordinated and taught the after school program for Elementary students, and discovered her love for teaching.  She was hired on with the Granite School District in 2008.  She worked for three years in the resource department, then was transferred to a Title I school in Kearns where she worked as an aide for 4th, 5th and 6th grade.  This is her first year at ELA and is very excited to be part of the team. 

She has two sons, three daughters and five grandchildren that keep her very busy.  She was born and raised in Utah. She lives in Herriman and loves dancing, hiking, camping and spending time with her family.

Brittany Lindsay is excited to help the 6th grade team this school year! Brittany was born and raised in Texas. She went to Brigham Young University and graduated in Physical education with a minor in Mathematics Education. She taught 7th and 8th grade math for a few years before moving to Indiana. In Indiana, she was an Assistant to a Professor at Indiana University.

She is back in Utah and loves it! She loves being out hiking, running, and skiing with her husband and 3 kids. She also has a love for traveling with her family and is always ready for the next adventure.

Kevin Robinson is originally from the state of Oregon. He graduated from Southern Oregon University with a Bachelor’s degree in Art. Kevin has been working in a school since 2004, at Early Light Academy since 2012, and as the ELA Elementary PE teacher since 2015. Athletics and physical activities have always been his passion. Kevin has spent many years coaching, officiating, and supervising youth sports programs. He holds the unofficial free throw record at ELA of 15 consecutive free throws and 27/30. He challenges any ELA student or staff member to beat his record. Kevin is married and has 3 adult children and 3 grandchildren.

Amy Hickenlooper grew up in Idaho Falls in a musical family.    She has been playing the violin since she was 4 years old, and began actively studying singing and piano in her early teen years. Performing has always been a part of her life. She attended Idaho State University on a full tuition music scholarship. She struggled choosing between her love of playing the violin and singing, so she decided to pursue both.  She fell in love with teaching others when she was in college while maintaining a large private studio. She graduated with 3 bachelor’s degrees in Vocal Performance, Violin Performance and Music Education in 2002. She completed a Master’s Degree in Instructional Design last year. (2019)

 Amy just completed her 12th year of teaching music. She loves the students and is passionate about sharing her love of music with them. Along with teaching a performing children’s choir, she also is passionate about music integration and recognizes the power to learn that music can bring into a child’s life through play. She has written many songs and developed lessons for elementary music integration that have been shared throughout the state of Utah. She has been a presenter at several professional development courses for other music educators in her District and Region. She was awarded an “Elementary Teacher Commendation” award from Eagle Elementary School of the Arts in Meridian Idaho. (2009) She is a two-time recipient of the PTA Outstanding Educator award at Hidden Hollow Elementary, (2012 and 2017) and was the CTL of the team that was awarded most outstanding team of the year (2020). She was also recently awarded the “Sorenson Legacy Award for Excellence in Arts Education” for the State of Utah this past Spring. Her former elementary school was chosen to host the principal’s discussion for being the “Arts Rich School of the Year” for Alpine School District. (2020) 

Amy just celebrated her 20th Wedding Anniversary and has two wonderful children.  They love to spend time together as a family at home and love all things having to do with the outdoors.  She loves reading, crafting, organizing, cleaning, decorating and most of all making music! 

Ms. Thompson was an original staff member at Early Light Academy, first working as the third-grade aide, and then in the library. She took a 4 year hiatus in the inner-city schools of South Bend, Indiana, but now she is so excited to be back home at ELA! Ms. T is a fervent advocate for literacy and the power it holds in the lives of our students. She believes that although literacy starts with reading, it evolves into so much more as students grow and mature. She looks forward to teaching your amazing kiddos a full range of educational literacy including literature, research, and critical thinking.

Ms. T is the mother of two incredible adult kids – both of whom were at ELA the day the doors opened until they graduated – and one pampered puppy named after Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter. She loves audio books, crafting, writing, rock hounding, traveling, and book fairs! Feel free to come see Ms. T and find out how you can volunteer in the library!

Britteny Candelaria has been a part of the ELA family for 7 years now. She started off as a Library Aide and continues to do so. She has loved every minute of it. For the past 3-4 years, she has assisted in our tech department. Last year she had the wonderful opportunity to run our Space Simulator. It is one of her favorite things to do for ELA!!! It has been so fun and she is so excited to continue to facilitate this wonderful program for ELA! 

She absolutely loves being a part of ELA and can’t wait for what this year has for us.

While working as a personal care assistant for disabled children and tutor, Mica learned what it means to make a difference in someones life. She loved working with children and decided to pursue a career as a teacher. Mica graduated from Western Governors University with her Bachelors in Early Childhood Education. In 2014, she joined the ELA family as a third grade teacher and has loved being a part of this awesome community ever since! She loves to find creative and engaging ways to teach concepts including escape rooms, hands on projects, and art.

Mica grew up in Minnesota, spending most of her time outdoors enjoying the lakes! She has fallen in love with Utah’s amazing mountains and national parks. She has two children, her 5 year old son Ryker and 2 year old daughter Arya, who are the joys of her life and teach her new things everyday.  In her free time Mica especially enjoys hiking, going on adventures with her children, playing games, and reading. 

Janeil Jones has her master’s degree in school counseling and a bachelor’s in psychology. She has worked in the field of Child Life, working with hospitalized children.  She took a hiatus to stay at home as her kids grew and has typed medical transcription from home during that time.  She is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada.  Janeil moved to South Jordan years ago with her family. She is married to a native Utahan and they have three children.  Janeil was an ELA parent before she was an employee.  She loved the school so much she got a job here! In her free time she loves to read, sing, and play video games with her kids.  She also really loves all things Harry Potter and Marvel!  Janeil loves being a part of the ELA community and absolutely loves working with all the students!

Sarah Hyatt is a graduate from Western Governors University in Elementary Educational Studies and has been working in the public school system for over seven years as a Behavior Specialist. She has been trained in Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS), social and emotional learning, Universal Design for Learning certified, and other current behavior intervention strategies. Sarah is presently a graduate student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Liberty University. 

Sarah’s WHY here at Early Light Academy is to support students in their social and emotional needs by teaching students strategies such as the ZONES of Regulation, calming techniques, and developing individualized behavior plans tailored to meet the needs of the student. These evidence-based strategies empower students to achieve success in their learning environment.