Nathan (Nate) Abbott is a proud husband, a father of 5, and an educator. He has over a decade of experience in the classroom and over 6 years of administrative experience. He has enjoyed teaching students from kindergarten to university. He has a BA in Asian Studies, and an MA in Secondary Education.

Throughout his educational career he has had the opportunity to present and give trainings all over the United States and also had the opportunity to work with and give trainings for the Confucius Institute in Beijing, China. The topics included Project Based Learning, language acquisition, student engagement, classroom management, and staying in the target language. He is a deep believer in children and their ability to learn and absolutely loves his job.

He is passionate about education and connecting teachers, parents, and students as a community.

As an experienced, culturally responsive educator of twenty plus years who believes in educating the whole child, Jessica is happy to be joining the team at Elizabeth Academy.  She has a degree in Elementary Education and Middle School Social Studies.  Jessica has a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and a Principal Certification, but that is not where her educational experience began.  At 16 months old, her parents strongly believed in the Montessori philosophy and that is where she began her love of learning and exploring.  Her first teaching job was in High School when she became a certified ski instructor and taught the youngest adventurers.  At the time, she never thought she would be a teacher.  But 20 plus years later having taught 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th grades and having been an instructional coach and Assistant Principal, including 7 years at Seward Montessori, she knows she has found her place.  She feels excited and privileged to begin this new adventure with all of you.  

Evangeline (Eva)  was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. Eva grew up in and adjacent to Montessori spaces for almost the entirety of their life. Beginning work as an extended day teacher they proceeded to spend time working in almost every program from Toddlers to Middle School as a substitute, assistant teacher, and specialties teacher. 

Eva is passionate about all of the arts and enjoys spending any free time writing, drawing, and reading.

Amanda has an educational background in psychology and has spent 10 years in the childcare industry with a love for Montessori. She started working at a Montessori school in high school and fell in love with the approach. She has worked with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers over the last few years developing a love for education. She slowly worked her way into different management positions ranging from administrative assistant to director. She loves being able to help teachers and parents and being the connection between the two. Last fall she had her first child and has been loving navigating motherhood.

Makyla is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Utah. She is currently working on a TF-CBT certification and has received training on using play as a way to support attachment-based interventions. She is also a certified MANDT instructor and practicum field-instructor for social work students through the University of Utah.

Makyla supports our students through individual work, group/class work, and connecting families to resources. She loves using child-centered play as a way to support children and teach important age-appropriate social/emotional skills. She’s a firm believer in trauma-informed care and loves being an advocate for children.

She has a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Utah with a focus on mental health. She also has a Bachelor of Science degree from Westminster College, holding a major in Psychology (clinical emphasis) and a minor in Sociology. Prior to joining the Elizabeth Academy staff in 2017, Makyla completed her MSW practicum requirements with Canyons School District and The Road Home. She has also gained experience through her volunteer work with The Children’s Center, Crisis Text Line, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.