Gail Williamsen, along with her husband Thom, founded Elizabeth Academy in 2008. Gail was born and raised in Salt Lake City and attended public schools, graduating from Highland High School. She began her undergraduate studies at the University of Utah while designing women’s apparel and producing the catalogs for LeVoy’s Lingerie. Interrupting school and career, she paused to focus on what she considers to be the most important of her life’s work–the rearing of her seven children. Gail returned to the University of Utah in 2004, continuing her formal education and earning her BA in English.

She completed her Master of Education degree and American Montessori Society (AMS) Administrative credential through the Institute for Montessori Innovation at Westminster College. Gail has a passion for lifelong learning and particularly enjoys great art, music, and literature.

Sofia Laguna Rigolon is from Boulder, Colorado, and has been teaching, designing curriculum, and focusing on inclusive education practices for the past 11 years.

Sofia has two Masters degrees- one in Curriculum and Instruction (University of Denver) and the other in Instructional Leadership (Utah State University), and she holds a certificate in Instructional Design from the University of Utah. Sofia studied English with an emphasis in creative writing from the University of Colorado.

Sofia has taught students from Kindergarten to university, and specializes in language acquisition, curriculum development, differentiation, and establishing collaborative teaching and planning models to maximize ALL student learning. Sofia and her husband are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters. As a family, they love being part of the Elizabeth Academy community!

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.

Roni has a Bachelor’s degree from Humboldt State University. She originally studied in the pre-veterinary program at UC Davis but completed her degree at Humboldt State University after discovering her passion for teaching. She has been an educator for 20 years, working with students of all ages—from preschool through high school, as well as adults.

In 2003, Roni moved to Barcelona, Spain, to immerse herself in a Spanish-speaking culture and prepare for a bilingual teaching credential program. Over the past 20 years, she has lived, worked, and formed a family in Barcelona. She is fluent in Spanish, English, and Hebrew (her maternal language), and has a high level of comprehension in Catalan.

In Barcelona, Roni has worked as an English teacher, high school language assistant, and English program coordinator. In 2019, she began working at a Montessori school with preschool-aged children, an experience that has inspired her in new and wonderful ways. She is a certified Montessori co-guide from Montessori Canela in Barcelona and has undergone training in Positive Discipline, Nonviolent Communication, Mindfulness, and Music Therapy to enhance her teaching style.

Roni is energetic and passionate about working with children. Outside of work, she is a mother to three wonderful girls of mixed race. Her family background and current family reflect true diversity. Tolerance, communication, love, and understanding are very important to her.

She enjoys visiting museums, discovering nature, hiking, camping, gardening, and participating in water-related activities.

Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the North Dakota State University in design and has an AMS Lower Elementary Credential from Westminster College’s Institute for Montessori Innovation.

She has taught at North Dakota State University teaching design courses and was a guest teacher for the Granite School District. She has fulfilled teaching assignments across all subject areas, teaching students of varied academic/age levels and diverse cultural backgrounds in sixty-three elementary schools. She has volunteered for an ESL program teaching English and new life skills to English learners, and has worked closely with NDSU professors gathering data and writing research on understanding student’s individual learning styles.

Melissa enjoys camping, boating, car shows, and a number of creative outlets with her husband and daughter.

Lindsey has a degree in Special Education. The 2019-2020 school year was her first year at Elizabeth Academy.

Lindsey has two children attending Elizabeth Academy in the elementary program. In addition to teaching, Lindsey enjoys baking, knitting, practicing yoga and meditating, and reading. She moved from San Diego, California to Salt Lake City in January 2019, but she is originally from Glenwood Spring, Colorado.

Liz has a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Psychology from Boston University. She is completing her AMS Lower Elementary Montessori credentials from The Center of Guided Montessori Studies. Liz decided on education as a career path because she has a profound love for helping others learn and grow.  This will be Liz’s first year teaching at Elizabeth Academy and she is excited to be a part of our community! 

Liz was born in Massachusetts where she has lived for most of my life and has taught Kindergarten for five years. She moved to Utah this summer with her husband Jeff and dog Bentley. She loves reading, especially mystery and thriller novels. Her other interests include going on hikes and spending time with friends and family.

Domita has an associates degree in Early Childhood education and experience in project-based learning. She joined the Elizabeth Academy / Garfield School staff in 2021, bringing seven years of teaching experience. Domita worked with infant, toddlers, and preschool aged students at the Palm Valley School in Rancho Mirage, California.

Her favorite hobbies include reading, hiking, and spending time with her husband and fur babies.

Gloria was born and raised in Salt lake City. She is the only girl among four brothers. She has been working with children for four years helping as a volunteer in an after-school program. Gloria also has experience as a pre-school teaching assistant. She is excited to implement Montessori practices and see the positive differences it offers from traditional education. She enjoys seeing children grasp concepts daily to accomplish big results.

During her free time, Gloria enjoys discovering new places and spending time outdoors. She especially loves camping and hiking. Gloria also loves shopping and can often be found in the mall looking for new shoes.