Support Staff

Shauna Zeman

Carrie Self

Layla Graff

Melissa McKendrick-Morris

Lynne Bronson

BTSLP Music Teacher

Tom Mitchell

Elementary Physical Education

Michelle Shedden

Reading Assistant

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

Hannah Wilson

Junior High Special Education Aide

Tiffany Hammon

Elementary Special Education Aide

Kristen Bean

Fourth Grade Aide

Allison Anderson

Fourth Grade Aide

Krista Springer

First Grade Aide

Jill Warburton

Kindergarten Aide

Chantelle Ray

Kindergarten Aide

Brenda Smith

Second Grade Aide

Amy Clawson

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.

Reneé Hechtle

1st Grade Teacher Assistant

I was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada.   I have lived in West Jordan for the past 10 years. I have been married for 21 years this August . My husband and I have moved around a lot in the past 21 years. We have lived in Nevada, Florida, North Carolina, California, and now Utah. During this time, we have been blessed with 4 great kids, 3 of which attend Ascent Academy.

During my free time I love to spend my time with my family. I enjoy running, baking, reading, and traveling.

I am excited to be a 1^st grade Teachers Aide!!

Natalie Marler

3rd Grade Teacher Assistant

I was born in Idaho and have lived in Utah most of my life.  I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography from Utah State University with an emphasis in both Urban Planning and Cartographic Design.  After graduating, I worked as a planning technician.

My husband and I have four active children and are excited to have our three youngest enrolled at Ascent Academies - West Jordan!  We spend many of our evenings and weekends on the sidelines of their soccer games and various extracurricular activities.  We enjoy traveling and discovering new places and are particularly fond of the Pacific Northwest.  We are also awed by the beauty of our own majestic Wasatch Mountains and feel very fortunate to call Utah home.

I love being outside, reading, photography, gardening, designing and making quilts, rehabilitating vintage furniture and spending time with my family. I have enjoyed volunteering at my children’s school throughout the years and look forward to playing a role at Ascent!

Kristin Barnes

3rd Grade Teacher Assistant

I have lived my whole life here in the Salt Lake Valley. I love being surrounded by the mountains. I attended Utah Valley University and worked many years in the medical industry.

I am married to my best friend and we have four great and active children. We love to spend time together in the great outdoors, camping, swimming, four wheeling and boating. We enjoy playing and watching sports together. We are big Utah Ute fans and love cheering on their football, basketball and gymnastic teams.

I like to disappear into books and love sitting on my front porch to watch thunderstorms. I am excited to be a part of the Ascent Academy team. I have volunteered here the past year and look forward to spending more time with the students and staff.

Kayla Reed

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

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.

Amber Ruoti

Elementary Teacher Assistant

I was born and raised in Utah.  I grew up in Kearns where I attended Kearns High School.  I was very invloved in dance.  I spent a year at Utah State where I was a member of the Aggiettes.  I received my Associates Degree in Business from Salt Lake Community College.

My husband I have been married for 21 years this November.  Together we have four amazing children.  Two boys and two girls.  They are 17, 15, 12 and 9 years old.  My oldest son will be graduating from West Jordan High School this year.  I have been working at Heartland Elementary in the Special Education department.  While I am sad to be leaving those amazing kiddos, I am excited to be at the school my girls will be attending.  I am looking forward to getting to know the kids at Ascent better.

In my free time I enjoy watching my girls dance and my boys play football.  I love to read when I have time for it and love to spend time outdoors when the weather allows.  

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.

Della George

Junior High Teacher Assistant

Brittany McDonald

Special Education Teacher Assistant

My name is Brittany McDonald.  I am an aide in the Junior High School.  I am a mother of 2 children; a 5th grader and a 10th grader.  I have been married for almost 15 years (this September) to my high school sweetheart.

The last two years I have worked for Granite School District under the Special Education umbrella.  My favorite part of my previous employment was working with the students.  I absolutely love junior high students and all the attitude that they bring with them.  I am so excited to be able to spend the day with the amazing, energetic and wonderful junior high students at Ascent Academy.

Jamie Felion

Kitchen Staff

Nora Apgood

Kitchen Staff

Heather Moffat

Kitchen Manager

Juliann Clauser

Kitchen Staff

Hailey Johnson

Kitchen Manager

Donna Baddley

Kitchen Staff

Jennifer Atwood

Kitchen Staff

Angelina Toral

Alejandro Franco