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. 

Michele was a ballet major at Brigham Young University (BYU) and is nearing completion of her Early Childhood MACTE-accredited Montessori credential through MEPI (Montessori Education Programs International). With over 30 years of teaching experience at private studios and both private and public schools, Michele has danced since the age of six and has been teaching dance for over 20 years. She has worked with children ranging from 12 months to 18 years, including as an Early Childhood teacher and a member of our enrichment teaching team. Michele has four children—two boys and two girls. Traveling the world with her parents as a child instilled in her a great love and appreciation for people and culture. Michele joined the Elizabeth Academy staff in 2010.

 Shana Thomas is a dedicated educator with a background in Montessori education, literacy instruction, and inclusive teaching practices. She brings hands-on experience in reading intervention and developmental learning, with a focus on building strong foundations in math, language, and life skills. Shana’s creative and nurturing approach supports adult learners in discovering their capabilities through real-world problem solving and collaborative exploration.

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.

Rachel received her Montessori infant and toddler certification through Rings of Knowledge in 2023. She worked for 2 years at Blooming Minds Montessori. She spent a year working in an infant classroom and a year working with toddlers. This is her first year at Elizabeth Academy working in the Iris classroom.

Dawn holds a Master of Arts degree in German Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and German from Cornell College. She has an AMS Lower Elementary Montessori Credential from Westminster College’s Institute for Montessori Innovation.

Dawn has been teaching for over 20 years at a variety of levels. She has been with Elizabeth Academy since 2013. Dawn has been a Montessori teacher at Montessori at Riverton and at the Montessori School at Lone Tree in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. She also has four years of experience teaching World History and German to high school students.

Her hobbies are hiking and traveling with her husband Keith and son Gregory, reading, drawing/painting, cooking, and cheering at her son’s hockey games (Dawn is a proud hockey mom!)

Emillie has a Bachelor of Science degree in General Education from Utah State University and an Early Childhood Montessori credential through the Institute for Guided Studies. Prior to joining the Elizabeth Academy staff, she worked as a lead teacher for three years in an Early Childhood classroom at Dancing Moose Montessori School in West Valley.

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.

Nozomi was born and raised in the beautiful coastal countryside of northern Japan. She moved to the United States to attend college and graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree. Nozomi has 15 years of rich experience with teaching young children. Prior to joining Elizabeth Academy, she enjoyed guiding toddler students at Montessori schools in Salt Lake City and San Antonio, Texas as well as teaching in preschool settings in Houston, Texas and Tokyo, Japan. Nozomi obtained her infant/toddler Montessori certificate through the North American Montessori Center in 2007. She is excited to continue guiding children at Elizabeth Academy.

During her free time, Nozomi enjoys playing her flute, traveling, shopping and going to the movies and concerts.