Rachel Kucera, SCMT, MT-BC, is a graduate of Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, where she completed a Bachelors of Music Education with Music Therapy degree. She completed her music therapy internship at Primary Children’s Hospital and has worked with a variety of populations including students who have Autism, Deaf Blind students, students with physical and cognitive disabilities, as well as infants and toddlers on early development. Rachel’s passion is integrating music therapy into the school setting. She also teaches piano, guitar, and ukulele to members of the community.
Rachel loves to travel anywhere and everywhere. Rachel also enjoys hiking adventures, kayaking, and absolutely loves dogs!
* Private Music Therapy Available
Melou is currently the Director of Music Therapy at EA. Melou is a nationally Board Certified music therapist as well as State Certified Music Therapist. She received her Master of Arts degree at University of the Pacific in Stockton, University. Her Masters emphasis is in Psychology-Family Systems. Melou is a member of the Utah Music Therapy Association and the American Association of Music Therapy.
Melou has been serving her community as a Music Therapist for twenty years. Melou is a Trauma-Informed Music Therapist. In 2013-2014, she was sponsored by the Attorney General’s office and Primary Children’s Hospital, to become trained as a Traumatic Focus Cognitive Behavioral Therapist credentialed TF-CBT. Melou has her NICU-MT, a national certification to practice Music Therapy in the NICU. Melou also is a Neurologic Music Therapist, NMT, having completed additional training in Neurologic Music Therapy. Melou has worked with both adults and children with emotional, mental and physical disabilities. She has contracted her services at hospitals, assisted care facilities and schools as well as with individual patients. Melou currently maintains a private Music Therapy practice.
At Elizabeth Academy, Melou assesses individuals to create treatment plans with specific objectives. She takes data on student response and evaluates and documents progress. Melou works as a member of the school interdisciplinary team.
In addition to her Music Therapy practice, Melou is an American classical singer, composer and pianist. She has performed in world class venues such as Notre-dame Cathedral in Paris, St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, and Canterbury Cathedral. She soloed throughout Brazil as well as soloing with the Utah Chamber Artists in London, France, (2008) Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic (2014). Melou has been a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir since 2014. She recently returned in July 2016, from a 19 day European tour with the choir performing throughout central Europe.
As a singer-songwriter, Melou has produced, written, arranged and performed on four of her own music albums. They are “Creio am Cristo,” “The Gift of Time,” “The Sleep of the Child Jesus” and “ A Celebration of Life.” Melou writes and performs music for community events and arts organizations in Utah. Melou has written an operetta for children called “The Magic Heart” based on a book by the same name.
* Private Music Therapy Available
Lauren received her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from San Jose State University. She has her certification in Ayres Sensory Integration through USC and is certified Advanced in DIR Floortime. Additionally, she has spent the last 3 years gaining extensive knowledge as a sensory based, feeding therapist. Lauren is joining the Elizabeth Academy team as an occupational therapist with over 5 years of experience. Lauren is passionate about providing neurodiverse, affirming care that supports sensory processing, play, learning, and development. Lauren is thrilled to be able to support children in their educational development, improve parents’ understanding of the child’s sensory preferences and support their regulation from the classroom to daily life.
In her free time, Lauren enjoys skiing, hiking, hanging out with her dogs and DIY home projects with her husband.
*Private Speech Therapy Available
Stacy has a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Utah, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Montana in Missoula, and an Associate’s Special Education teaching license through the Utah State Board of Education. She is completing courses to complete full licensure as a Special Educator, and this is in her third year of teaching.
Prior to joining the team at Elizabeth Academy, Stacy worked for Granite School District as a Special Educator. She also lived and worked in different countries throughout Africa for 7 years (2011-2018) and has worked in refugee resettlement in the Salt Lake area. She loves spending time with people from all different cultures, learning styles, and perspectives. One of Stacy’s greatest passions is Performance Art; she loves attending community theater performances, singing along to Broadway musical soundtracks, and is looking forward to teaching theater classes in addition to running the post-secondary program at Elizabeth Academy this year. In her spare time, Stacy enjoys traveling and engaging in outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, and fishing.
Carrie, M.S. CCC-SLP , has a Bachelors in Communication Science and Disorders as well as a Masters in Speech-Language Pathology from Idaho State University. She is certified through the American Speech and Hearing Association and has worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist in private practice, hospitals, home health, and in schools.
Carrie has served as a Parent Advisor on the Utah Special Education Advisory Panel for the Utah State Board of Education, The Utah Alternative Technology Team for Canyons School District, on the county and state boards of the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation, and has volunteered for Special Olympics.
She enjoys scuba diving, singing, playing piano and organ, cooking, reading, theater, crochet, learning, and advocacy. Carrie and her husband have 4 children, one of whom is diagnosed with Down syndrome.
Olga Malloy is an innovative educator and child development specialist with a diverse background spanning physics, Waldorf education, and curative approaches to learning. Her career has been shaped by a deep-seated passion for understanding how children learn, particularly those with special needs.
After obtaining a Master of Science in Physics in Ukraine in 1992, Olga began her professional journey in academia, teaching undergraduate courses and conducting research at Tel-Aviv University. However, her innate calling to work with young children led her to pursue Waldorf Teacher Training at Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento, CA, marking a significant shift in her career path.
Olga’s educational journey began conventionally, but her keen observations and commitment to her students’ well-being led her to question traditional methods. She noticed a pattern: despite the application of seemingly holistic approaches, some children consistently struggled, falling behind academically, displaying restless behavior, and appearing profoundly unhappy. Determined to make a difference, Olga made it her mission to reach these children who were not responding to conventional educational techniques.
This commitment drove Olga to expand her knowledge and explore alternative educational philosophies. She immersed herself in the works of influential thinkers such as Rudolf Steiner, Moshe Feldenkrais, Nikolai Bernstein, Lev Vygotsky, and Gordon Neufeld. Through years of study and practical application, Olga developed a unique capacity to uncover the underlying causes of learning and behavioral difficulties.
Olga’s diverse experience includes leading Early Childhood classrooms, elementary and middle school classrooms, teaching music in elementary school grades, and overseeing summer camps and aftercare programs. Her work with children requiring specialized support deepened her interest in Curative Education, which she found to be a transformative approach in the field of education.
Driven by a deep sense of purpose, in 2019, Olga founded the Little School in Fryeburg, a non-profit initiative in Maine dedicated to providing a holistic and individualized education for children. For three years, she nurtured a one-room schoolhouse classroom for students from kindergarten to eighth grade, fostering an environment that celebrates the unique abilities of each child.
Olga’s work extends beyond direct interaction with children. She is passionate about empowering parents and equipping them with the knowledge and skills to support their children’s learning journey at home. Her workshops and educational programs offer transformative experiences for both children and parents, fostering a collaborative approach to education.
