Ascent Academies of Utah – West Jordan

Support Staff

Shauna Zeman

My name is Shauna Zeman, and I am currently a Reading Aide for Ascent Academies, working to help individual students become better readers.

I am a proud mother of one beautiful 19-year-old daughter. I am also attending LDS Business College, where I am majoring in Interior Design. I am very creative, and have a love for art, design, music, movies, reading, and love studying about politics and history.

In California, I attended The California Nanny College, and Sacramento City College, and studied Early Childhood Education, which enabled me to receive my Early Childhood Education Units. I worked for many years as a Pre-School Teacher, and enjoy working with children.

I am excited for the oppurtunity to work with children at Ascent Academy, to help build their self confidence and skill level in reading

Carrie Self

Hi, I am Carrie Self and have just moved to Utah from Texas. We lived in the Dallas area for six year and are so happy to be back where there are mountains. Prior to moving to Texas, we lived in a small town in the northwest corner of Washington state. It was there that we raised our four children.

I have been a para-educator for 16 years. I love working with students and helping them to discover their full potential in whatever they are working on. There is nothing better than their smile when they realize they have done more or achieved a better grade because of the work they have done. I look forward to being part of the educational team at Ascent Academy.

Melissa McKendrick-Morris

Lynne Bronson

BTSLP Music Teacher

Lynne Bronson

BTSLP Music Teacher

Tom Mitchell

Elementary Physical Education/Athletic Director

Tom Mitchell

Elementary Physical Education/Athletic Director

I am so excited to be a part of the Ascent Team!

Michelle Shedden

Reading Assistant

Michelle Shedden

Reading Assistant

I’ve worked in the Reading Department at Ascent Academy since November 2015. I have the unique opportunity to work with all the students from Kindergarten to 9th grade. There is an amazing feeling that comes when the light turns on in a child’s eyes when they finally catch on. It makes my day to walk down the hall and have them yell, “Ms. Michelle I leveled up in reading today!” I have loved working here and am excited to be here for many years to come.

Jennifer Rutherford

Campus Librarian

Jennifer Rutherford

Campus Librarian

I was born and raised in West Jordan, Utah. I am married and have five children, ranging in age from 8 to 23. I enjoy reading, camping, baking and laughing. I am an avid volunteer and love to give my time to various charities and organizations. I enjoy community service and have worked with my local water board and has even ran for town council. Last year, I returned to the workforce and was employed by Academy Mortgage Corporation in a part-time role while serving as the Parent Organization President and my children's school.

Email: jrutherford@ascentutah.org

Assistants

Hannah Watson

Junior High Special Education Aide

Hannah Watson

Junior High Special Education Aide

Tiffany Hammon

Elementary Special Education Aide

Tiffany Hammon

Elementary Special Education Aide

Kristen Bean

Fourth Grade Aide

Kristen Bean

Fourth Grade Aide

Allison Anderson

Fourth Grade Aide

Allison Anderson

Fourth Grade Aide

Krista Springer

First Grade Aide

Krista Springer

First Grade Aide

Jill Warburton

Kindergarten Aide

Jill Warburton

Kindergarten Aide

Chantelle Ray

Kindergarten Aide

Chantelle Ray

Kindergarten Aide

Amy Clawson

Kindergarten Teacher Assistant

Amy Clawson

Kindergarten Teacher Assistant

Linda Lindsay

Kindergarten Teacher Assistant

Linda Lindsay

Kindergarten Teacher Assistant

I am Linda Lindsay, I have been married for 27 years and we have four grown daughters. We don’t have any grandchildren, yet. We have lived in West Jordan for over 26 years.

Some of the things I love to do are read, cross stitch, put together jigsaw puzzles and water ski. I love working with children and helping them learn and seeing them progress academically. I went on an L.D.S. mission to Chile and can speak Spanish. I have also traveled to Italy and Switzerland.

I graduated from BYU with a degree in child development. I taught in a preschool for 1 year, and then returned to BYU to get my teaching certificate. I taught English as a second language for grades K-6 for 5 years. I worked at Midvale Elementary for 13 years as a Title I teacher assistant.

Juliann Clauser

Second Grade Aide

Juliann Clauser

Second Grade Aide

Kayla Reed

5th Grade Teacher Assistant

Kayla Reed

5th Grade Teacher Assistant

I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah and love it here. I come from a family of 3 girls and 1 adopted boy. My brother was adopted at the age of 8 and we later found out that he is mentally disabled. It was a huge gift for our whole family, as my brother now lives with our family. I went to school at Snow College and studied in Child Care Management. I loved going to Snow and still look at it as some of the best times in my life.
My husband and I met in High School while he was dating one of my best friends. We have been married for 15 years this year and have 3 kids. Our kids all attend Ascent and love it. We moved to Ohio for 18 months when our oldest was one. It was a blessing both to be there and to move back home. We are a soccer family the kids have played since they were 4 years old and all but 1 love it. We have season tickets to University of Utah Football and have for 8 yrs and will for as long as we can. My husband and I call it our dating season!!
I was a stay at home mom for the past 10 years and loved every moment. I helped in my kids' classes each year and have loved it. This year my baby started 1st grade so I wanted something to do during the day, but did not want to miss sending them off to school and being there when they get home.

Lisa Anderson

5th Grade Teacher Assistant

Lisa Anderson

5th Grade Teacher Assistant

My name is Lisa Anderson, and I’m so excited to be working in my kids’ school this year! We just live five minutes from Ascent and love our neighborhood and school. I grew up in a small town in Eastern Oregon, but I left home to attend BYU and have been in Utah ever since. (My only time away was my 18-month LDS mission to Marseille, France…a long, long time ago. I love Europe and can’t wait to take my husband there one day.) I graduated in English teaching and met my future husband the week before starting my first teaching job. We just celebrated our 14^th wedding anniversary, and I am definitely a lucky woman. (He did graduate from the U, but we actually enjoy cheering for both teams…as long as they aren’t playing each other.) I taught school for four years before becoming a mom and have spent the last 11 years at home with our three incredible girls. Those years sure flew by: I can’t believe I now have a 6^th, 4^th, and 1^st grader. With my baby now in school all day (sniff, sniff), I’m actually looking forward to spending some time back in school as well!

I love to read all kinds of books, work in my yard, watch movies, and enjoy always having a project to work on. As a family we like to travel and are trying to see more of the sights in Utah: Moab and Bear Lake are family favorites. We just enjoy being together and have definitely loved having our full summers back to play.

I’m grateful to live in such an awesome community and to be a part of the Ascent team!

Tiffany Abbott

6th Grade Teacher Assistant

Tiffany Abbott

6th Grade Teacher Assistant

My name is Tiffany Abbott. I have lived in West Jordan my entire life and I love it here. My husband and I have been married for thirteen years and we have four children, two boys and two girls. Their ages are 12, 10, 9 and 6.

Previously I attended Salt Lake Community college were I studied Cosmetology/Barbering. I also served for eight years in the Air National Guard. I currently teach early morning fitness classes at the recreation center and love it! I have taught fitness classes for kids and love their energy!

I was privileged enough to get to spend about a month in Ethiopia last summer working to bring our daughter home. I really got to see the culture close up and personal. My husband and I feel like we left a piece of our hearts there and would love to return there someday. In my spare time I enjoy trail running with my husband and being in the mountains with my family.

Treesa Stock

Junior High Teacher Assistant

Treesa Stock

Junior High Teacher Assistant

I was born and raised in Davis County and for the past 15 years have resided in West Jordan. I am married to my best friend and we have three uniquely amazing children. I have coached soccer and volleyball and enjoy playing both. I love to garden, scrapbook the old-fashioned way (not digitally) and go camping with my family.

I have worked in retail and for the United States Postal Service. My favorite job by far has been as a stay at home mom for the last 14 years. You will often hear me say, “You can do hard things,” because I believe we all possess more capability than we think we have. I have volunteered in several capacities involving children and feel very fortunate to be working at Ascent Academies.