Elena is a lover of literature and languages, so it is no surprise she studied English at the University of Utah, earning a BA degree. While already a bit intrepid by nature, opening herself to travel in high school and college planted a lifelong seed if not obsession with traveling. After college, Elena began her teaching career a bit inadvertently, getting a job teaching ESL in Taiwan, a decision largely motivated by her desire to see the world. She went on to teach ESL in Spain as well, and to travel of course! Being immersed in other cultures led Elena to study sociocultural anthropology at graduate level at Columbia University in New York. Elena began teaching in earnest in the US in 2014 in New York City, before relocating back to Salt Lake to be closer to family and continuing teaching in Utah, first at Challenger School, and then at Elizabeth Academy.
Other than reading and traveling, Elena loves to have conversations, to cook and host dinner parties, and to do all the usual Utah things such as ski and hike. She is trilingual in English, Russian, and Spanish, with a current strong attempt at a fourth: Italian.
Britta is the Art Inclusion and Spanish Specialist here at the Upper Campus! She has four years of teaching experience, being a certified TESOL instructor and fluent Spanish speaker. Britta has two little toddlers, ages 3 and 4 years old. She enjoys dancing, spending time with her family, and creating/appreciating art in her free time. Britta started teaching at the Upper Campus in October 2022 and looks forward to more years to come!
Sean has his BA in History Teaching from the University of Utah as well as a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Westminster College. He has always felt more comfortable with non traditional classrooms, non traditional students, and a non traditional career. He has taught every level from preschool to college classes, was an administrator, a college recruiter, and an educational software salesman. No matter where he ended up, his daydreams would always drift back to teaching students.
Covid reignited his desire to get back into the classroom and his experiences since have cemented his desire for fair and equitable education. Learning should be a vulnerable activity and his passion is creating the nurturing space needed for every student to explore, develop, and become the best version of themselves.
When he isn’t teaching, Sean is probably doodling, playing with his family and dogs, or playing role playing games with close friends.
Kim has a Master of Arts in Montessori Education from St Catherine University, a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Brigham Young University. She has AMS Montessori credentials at both the Early Childhood and Elementary levels. Kim has been teaching in Montessori settings since 2007 and has been with Elizabeth Academy / Garfield School since 2014.
Kim has a strong science background, as she was a laboratory specialist for the University of Utah’s Pulmonary Division for seven years and a research assistant for the Energy and Geoscience Institute for two years. She has also taught youth art programs and worked as a children’s grief counselor.
This summer Kim received a credential in Instructional Design from The University of Illinois at Urbana.
Kim enjoys skiing, biking, trail running, camping, yoga, and gardening with her husband and three children.
Shana has been working in a Montessori environment since 2015 in a variety of different roles. She has been a parent reading volunteer, lower elementary co-teacher and kindergarten lead teacher. Shana is a certified Early Steps Reading Instructor through the University of Utah and teaches as an Instructor at the University of Utah Reading Clinic after school. Shana loves working with children and finds great joy in helping each child realize their full potential. Shana is completing her Lower Elementary Montessori credential through the North American Montessori Center (NAMC).
In her spare time Shana enjoys spending time with her family, especially her two children, Ayla and Kai. She loves making crafts, playing the piano and fixing things. Shana is always involved in learning new skills and is excited to be a part of Elizabeth Academy.
Nick has a Master of Science in Data Science and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, both from the University of Utah. His experience includes working as a business analyst for a youth adventure camp in Denver as well as 6 years as a lead instructor at an after school math tutoring center. This is Nick’s second year at Elizabeth Academy and he is excited this year to be teaching Pre-Algebra up to Precalculus, and taking the role of middle school advisor.
Nick is an avid gamer with an impressive collection of board games, collectable cards, and a gaming computer custom built by himself. He loves cooking, with his new favorite cuisines being Vietnamese, Thai, and really anything that incorporates fish sauce. Nick is a fan of electronic music and has continued to support local artists during his 10 years of living in Salt Lake City.
