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!

With three impactful years at Elizabeth Academy Secondary, Holly has played a pivotal role in shaping the academic and social environment of the school. As the Assistant Admin, Holly has demonstrated exceptional organizational skills and leadership, ensuring that the administrative functions run smoothly and efficiently.

In their role as Behavior Coordinator, Holly has successfully implemented strategies to foster a positive and inclusive school culture, addressing behavioral issues with a proactive and supportive approach. This role has allowed Holly to work closely with students, parents, and staff to create a harmonious and conducive learning environment.

As the Student Council Advisor, Holly has mentored and guided students in developing leadership skills, organizing events, and advocating for their peers. This position has provided Holly with the opportunity to inspire and support student initiatives, helping to cultivate a strong sense of community within the school.

Additionally, Holly serves as a CTE Teacher, where she is dedicated to preparing students for future careers through hands-on learning and real-world applications. Holly’s commitment to integrating career readiness into the curriculum has greatly benefited students, equipping them with essential skills and knowledge for their professional journeys.

Through her diverse roles, Holly has made a significant impact on the Elizabeth Academy Secondary community, demonstrating unwavering dedication to student success and school improvement.

Britta is the Art Inclusion at the Secondary School! 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!

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.

Taylor received her Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Florida in 2018 and her Bachelor of Health Science in Rehabilitation Science from Armstrong State University in 2014. She is a Board-Certified Pediatric Clinical Specialist. Taylor has experience in hospital-based outpatient pediatric physical therapy as well as with private and charter school-based pediatric physical therapy. She has worked with individuals from ages birth to 21 years with various neurological, developmental, and orthopedic diagnoses.

Taylor loves gardening, playing volleyball, and spending time with her husband, Tyler, and her cat and dogs. She loves to see students exceed their own expectations.

*Private Physical Therapy Available

​​From a young girl I have always been passionate about the arts. I received a BFA from SUNY Purchase in 2001 and migrated from the east coast to SLC a year later. I began my teaching career in 2006 at UMOCA, co-teaching the KidsmART and ARTbytes programs. These programs brought students from the SLC school district, as well as children from at-risk situations such as The Road Home, to the museum to look at, talk about, and make art. In 2007 I started teaching at Bad Dog Arts, a non-profit arts organization, and eventually moved into the role of Programs Coordinator. In this position I focused on bringing arts programming into Title I schools as well as offering various art opportunities for all ages in our community. I was fortunate to be hired on as the Secondary Art Teacher at Elizabeth Academy in 2022. 

I believe in the importance of art education to foster creativity, self awareness, and perseverance as well as to help develop critical thinking, confidence and creative problem solving skills. I strive to inspire my students to find their individual art language and nurture their creative journey along the way.

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