Secondary Director
Daniel Baker
Leadership/Staff
Administrative Team
Kevin McVicar
Administrative Director
Mr. McVicar has worked with American Prep since 2004 and traveled to all the different campuses as an Academic Coach until 2016 when he transitioned to the Draper 2 campus as an Administrative Director. He recently completed his masters degree in Educational Leadership from Central Michigan University with a cohort of other American Prep Administrators. He enjoys reading, playing board games, and spending as much time outdoors and traveling as possible. He has been married to his wife, Stephanie, for 15 years. Together, they have two sons, Seamus and Finnegan, that attend American Prep.
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Angela Lawrence
4-6 Academic Director
Mrs. Lawrence graduated in 1999 from BYU Provo with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Public Relations and a minor in Mathematics. After graduating, Mrs. Lawrence went on to work in the community relations departments for Novell and ARUP Blood Services. She began teaching at American Preparatory Academy in January of 2013 and received her teaching license in 2015 through Utah's Alternative Route to Licensure. She then became an Academic Director in 2018. Mrs. Lawrence is married with four children, all of whom attend American Prep. Some of her favorite things in life include being a mom, teaching school, traveling, scuba diving, organizing anything and everything, and continually learning.
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Shantel Park
4 - 6 Academic Coordinator
Ms. Park loves working at American Prep. She attended college at Radford University, in Radford, Virginia, majoring in Music Business, and at Western Governors University, earning her degree in Educational Studies. She began working at American Preparatory Academy in 2014, and is looking forward to many more years of amazing students. Some of her favorite things are singing random phrases as though in a musical, Cadbury Mini Eggs, reading a good book, and especially going to the beach. She strongly dislikes matching socks for folding.
xKindergarten Team
Emma Bergman
Kindergarten Teacher
Ms. Bergman began working at American Preparatory Academy as a kindergarten teacher in 2018. She graduated form the University of California, San Diego with a Bachelors of Science in Cognitive Science. She is passionate about the learning and development of children; they are truly incredible and a joy to work with. In her spare time, Ms. Bergman enjoys dancing, reading, musical theater, and baking.
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Sarah Hathorne
Kindergarten Teacher
Ms. Hathorne loves teaching children 18 months to 97 years old. She does just that by teaching kindergarten, dance, tumbling, fitness classes, and Silver Sneakers. She graduated from BYU with a major in dance education and taught all genres of dance at three different high schools. Ms. Hathorne also taught preschool at Learning Dynamics and Utah Dance Artist Fine Arts Preschool so she could teach her own children. She loves young children because of their excitement and love of learning. She says that it is so rewarding to see how much growth they make in one year. Ms Hathorne is a proud mother of six wonderful children. She loves to hike, get out on the water, and play with her kids.
x1st Grade Team
Belinda Durling
1st Grade Teacher
Mrs. Durling graduated from Utah State University in 1996 with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and an emphasis in mathematics. She taught 2nd grade at Challenger in Sandy, UT for 3 years before having her first child. She spent time tutoring after that and returned to the classroom at American Prep teaching 1st grade in 2004. In 2009, Mrs. Durling became the academic director and worked in administration at APA for the next 9 years. In 2018 she returned to the classroom and is currently teaching 1st grade again. She lives with her husband and four children in West Jordan, UT and, besides working with kids, she enjoys audiobooks and podcasts.
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Lori Henry
1st Grade Teacher
Mrs. Henry graduated with honors from Westminster College in 1986. She began teaching first grade for Granite School District in 1987. She was hired by APA in 2011 as an instructor and began as a first grade teacher for American Prep in 2013.
She is an accomplished artist and a published writer. Mrs. Henry studied karate for 15 years and earned the rank of second degree black belt. She has three beautiful horses and loves to ride with her husband in the mountains and deserts of Utah. Mrs. Henry and her husband are Pony Express riders having taken part in the 2012 historical annual re-ride.
Michelle Davis
1st Grade Teacher
Mrs. Davis has been teaching at American Prep since 2011. She grew up in Utah and loves spending time with her husband, reading, playing volleyball, teaching, and playing with her dog, Harley. She received her Bachelor's Degree from BYU in Elementary Education with an Emphasis in Early Childhood Education. She loves teaching at APA and seeing the excitement and growth in the kids.
x2nd Grade Team
Kelly Herrera
2nd Grade Teacher
Mrs. Kelly Herrera attended college at Westminster and Argosy University where she graduated with honors with a B.A. in Psychology. She has been an Elementary Teacher at American Preparatory Academy since 2017. In her free time she enjoys going to her children's sporting events and taking her 2 dogs for hikes.
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Christy Hooley
2nd Grade Teacher
Mrs. Hooley has a wealth of experience in education that includes teaching in both public and private schools, homeschooling, and starting a private education academy. She grew up in parts of Utah and Green River, Wyoming. She graduated from High School in 1993 with a music scholarship and earned her Associate's degree from Western Wyoming College in 1995. She moved back to Utah and earned her Bachelor's degree from Utah Valley University in Elementary Education, played her clarinet in the UVU band, got married, and started her family all in 2001. She has three children, two daughters and a son. She enjoys singing, playing her clarinet, teaching Zumba, and leading her ward's choir. She also loves being part of our representative form of government by serving as a delegate for her local precinct and is highly involved in politics. Her greatest passion is American History and the Founding Fathers. She loves teaching and is grateful for American Preparatory Academy.
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Rhonda Foster
2nd Grade Teacher
Mrs. Foster has taught for many years in public school, homeschool, preschool, and tutoring capacities. She has been with American Prep since 2013. She grew up in Tucson, Arizona, earned her Associate's degree from Ricks College in 1991 and then earned her Bachelor's from Utah State University in Elementary Education with a minor in music in 1993. She has four children, enjoys sewing, singing, playing her flute, volleyball, and basketball but, her children say her hobby is cleaning. She loves teaching and looks forward to every new year!
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Susan Diamond
2nd Grade Teacher
Mrs. Diamond has worked for APA since 2006 in various positions, teaching second grade was among her favorite assignments. She has over 11 years of teaching experience combined since graduating from Brigham Young University in Elementary Education. She enjoys reading, crafting, and trying new foods.
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Maggie Mair
2nd Grade Teacher
Mrs. Mair is a graduate of Western Governors University and has been teaching since 2018. She has enjoyed volunteering in a variety of positions at various schools including The Carmen B. Pingree Center for Children with Autism. She began teaching at American Preparatory Academy in 2018. When she is not teaching you can find Mrs. Mair enjoying the mountains while camping and hiking with her husband and two children. Mrs. Mair is also the coach of the Jr. High (6-8) Girls Volleyball team here at American Prep.
x3rd Grade Team
Liz Wanner
3rd Grade Teacher
Mrs. Wanner has been teaching at American Prep since 2009. She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate from Cal Poly Pomona University with a degree in Behavior Sciences. She received her Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education in 2012. She was awarded the Teacher of the Year Award in 2016. She has three boys, all of whom have attended American Prep. She enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family.
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Jennifer McKeague
3rd Grade Teacher
Mrs. McKeague has been teaching at American Prep since 2018. She is a graduate of the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, focusing on child development. She has seven years of previous teaching experience in private schools. She enjoys hiking with her family, reading, and tending to her many plants.
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Holly Strong
3rd Grade Teacher
Mrs. Strong started teaching at American Preparatory Academy in 2017. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Elementary Education and enjoyed teaching 2nd and 5th grades in Jordan School District for seven years. She loves reading, singing, cooking, and camping with her family.
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Syanna Tefteller
3rd Grade Teacher
Ms. Tefteller earned her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with an emphasis in Archaeology from Brigham Young University in 2006. She started teaching as an elementary teacher at American Preparatory Academy in 2017. Prior to teaching, she worked as an archaeologist and GIS specialist for 11 years. In her free time she enjoys reading, hiking, swimming, and spending time with her family and dog.
x4th Grade Team
Annie Cain
4th Grade Teacher
Ms. Cain started with American Preparatory Academy in 2012 and is currently a fourth-grade teacher. She has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Utah and a Master’s Degree from the University of Phoenix. She was raised and still resides in Sandy. She came from a family of 7, with 5 kids. She has 7 nephews and 4 nieces. She loves to knit, climb, and snowboard. In her bucket list she put that she wants to get married, have kids, and travel.
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Cami Minniear
4th Grade Teacher
Mrs. Minniear earned her B.S. in Elementary Education at Oklahoma Baptist University. She has taught fourth grade for several years in Colorado and Arizona. She fully enjoys being apart of the American Prep team as a fourth grade teacher. Mrs. Minniear enjoys being outdoors and eating all types of food. She also loves watching the Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies play.
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Susan Hyer
4th Grade Teacher
Mrs. Hyer has been an elementary teacher at American Preparatory Academy since 2013. She received her Bachelor's of Arts and teaching degree from Western Governors University. Prior to teaching, she worked as an elementary school librarian for 8 years. Mrs. Hyer loves reading and sharing books with children. In her spare time she enjoys camping, cooking, and being with family. She and her husband have 11 children and 10 grandchildren.
x5th Grade Team
Angela Bodily
5th Grade Teacher
Mrs. Bodily has been working at American Preparatory Academy since 2015. She graduated from Brigham Young University - Idaho with a degree in elementary education, and she worked as a teacher for a year prior to moving to Utah. Mrs. Bodily has always had a strong desire to work with children, and began working towards her goal to become a teacher in 2002. Since that time, she has held a wide arrange of positions in the field of education. In addition to teaching, she loves hiking, knitting, playing the piano, and playing with her own adorable children.
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Kellie Wilding
5th Grade Teacher
Mrs. Wilding was born and raised in Southern California. After getting her Bachelor's Degree in secondary education at Brigham Young University, she taught fifth grade for several years in Arizona. She is happy to be a part of the American Prep team, as a fifth-grade teacher. Ms. McGrath enjoys playing soccer and tennis, hiking, eating pizza and burritos, and spending time at the beach in Hawaii.
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Sara Erickson
5th Grade Teacher
Mrs. Erickson earned her B.S. in communication studies at Southern Utah University and her M.Ed in curriculum and instruction from Grand Canyon University. Mrs. Erickson taught high school and middle school for 16 years prior to joining American Preparatory Academy. In her spare time, Mrs. Erickson loves to read, watch college football, cheer for the Dodgers, and bake.
x6th Grade Team
Ben Henderson
6th Grade Teacher
Mr. Henderson has been teaching at American Preparatory Academy since 2017. He graduated from Grove City College with a degree in Social Studies Secondary Education. Mr. Henderson is an avid soccer fan and a total history nerd. In his spare time, Mr. Henderson runs, curls, and travels the world.
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Samantha Beal
6th Grade Teacher
California native, Ms. Beal has been teaching since 2015. She received a Bachelor's degree from the University of Utah in Art History and History. She completed the Alternate Route to Licensure in order to receive her teaching license. She still continues her studies of art history and history. Her favorite time period to study for both art and history is the French Revolution. Ms. Beal enjoys the outdoors, music, movies, and loves going to concerts.
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Tamee Burkholder
6th Grade Teacher
Mrs. Burkholder grew up in Salt Lake City and attended Skyline High School. She is the oldest of eight children. Mrs. Burkholder studied at Brigham Young University and received her Bachelors, in Political Science, and Utah teaching certificate there with a student teaching internship in Al-Ram Palestine in 1991.
She was hired as the Education Liaison for Governor Leavitt for a year and worked for the Department of Community and Economic Development for five years including the exciting time of the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City. She then traveled with L-3 Communications to Iraq as a finance specialist in Baghdad and Balad, running cash payroll for the linguists serving the coalition troops. She returned to Utah and finished her master’s degree in Comparative International Development Education at BYU and then taught 7th through 9th grade at Lakeview Academy in Saratoga Springs. She then worked as project manager with the Quasi-Government program Utah Fund of Funds. She taught English language learners at the English Language Institute at the University of Utah and ran her own non-profit Women Empowerment Global Outreach. She married Mr. Jeff Burkholder in 2014.
Mrs. Burkholder loves dancing, piano, guitar, and all things musical. She enjoys family history, traveling, and reading. She is excellent at needlework and loves to quilt and cross stitch. She loves a good Marvel or DC Comic movie and enjoys the outdoors including camping, hiking, swimming, canoeing and roughing it.
Mrs. Burkholder volunteers as a victim’s advocate for the South Salt Lake Police Department. She is a Board member of the Daughters of the American Revolution Salt Lake Valley Chapter a DUP Museum docent volunteer and member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and a member of the Mayflower Descendancy society. She is also a member of the Jane Austen Society of North American and Super Aunt to over 60 perfect, beautiful children.
Specials Team
Robert Andersen
P.E. Teacher
Raised on a nut farm (pistachio), Mr. Andersen graduated from Wickenburg High School in Arizona. He served a 2 year church mission in Osaka, Japan, and graduated from BYU in July, 1994. Rob served Salt Lake County as a firefighter for 15 years. He has been teaching PE here at APA since February, 2017. He loves all things athletic--especially mountain biking.
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Sue Bauman
P.E. Teacher
Mrs. Bauman has been teaching PE for 17 years. Her career has taken her into 2nd and 6th grades, athletic director, and coach. Teaching PE is her passion. She received her B.S. degree in Physical Education and History from Weber State University. She completed her Masters in Elementary Education in 2003. She is married, and they have 4 children, 3 boys and 1 girl. With all the children on their own, she and her husband have been enjoying lots of camping, golfing, and riding. Mrs. Bauman has lived in 9 states and 2 countries. She most recently moved here from Phoenix, AZ in 2011. She loves the mountains, but not so much the winters. When she reads, she chooses James Patterson and John Grisham.
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Katty Marin
Band Teacher
Dr. Marin holds a Master in Music and Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Utah with a minor in Music History. Dr. Marin’s main instrument is the clarinet and has been very active in the International Clarinet Association, including performing with the “Forward 4 Clarinet Quartet” at the conventions in Lincoln (Nebraska), Los Angeles (CA), Assisi (Italy), and Baton Rouge (Louisiana). She has also performed at the prestigious Chilean international festival Semanas Musicales de Frutillar in Frutillar, Chile. She was broadcasted several times at BYU’s classical music radio program Highway 89.
Prior to her appointment at the Draper campuses, Dr. Marin taught band, general music, and music history at the West Valley 1 and 2 campuses with the El Sistema program.
In her spare time, Dr. Marin enjoys listening to music from the 80’s and spending time with her family.
Annie Nielson
Orchestra Teacher
Mrs. Nielson has over 20 years of string performance experience on violin, viola, cello, and bass, and 9 years of string teaching experience, including large ensembles and private lessons. She holds a Masters degree in Music Education from Colorado State University (2016) and a and Bachelors degree in Instrumental Music Education from the University of Utah (2008). She is a licensed education teacher in the state of Utah.
As a teacher, Mrs. Nielson loves to have the “lightbulb” moment with her students. She is driven to help her students understand new concepts and develop confidence to achieve anything. Creating unforgettable music experiences for students and parents is a highlight of her career. She has arranged joint concerts with Brigham Young University’s Philharmonic Orchestra, jazz musician Sam Payne, and recording artist Aaron Ashton.
Mrs. Nielson has been fortunate to study conducting with Wes Kenney at Colorado State University; viola under John Englund and Julie Edwards, both members of the Utah Symphony. She was a faculty member for the Lyceum Music Festival and has performed under the direction of David Cho, Associate Conductor of the Utah Symphony, and in concert with The 5 Browns. She has also taught at the Blue Sky Music Camp with Aaron Ashton.
Some of Mrs. Nielson's favorite things are spending time with her husband and newborn daughter, reading, baking cookies, exploring new places and eating chocolate. Her dream is to visit Ireland and study Celtic fiddling.
Instruction Team
Dilshad Ahmed
Instructor
Mrs. Ahmed has been an instructor with American Preparatory Academy since 2017. She received her Masters in Science in community resource management and extension from Delhi University in India. Since then, she has worked as a project manager at women's charity in Glasgow, Scotland. She loves kids, traveling, exploring, eating, cooking, and learning.
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Stacey Atkinson
Instructor
Mrs. Atkinson has been working at American Prep since January of 2018. She previously worked at Granite School District as a substitute teacher and as a para-educator. She has 2 children that attend Draper 3. Mrs. Atkinson loves to read, play the piano, sing, and watch her sons play sports. She is excited to work with the students at APA!
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Korie Howard
Instructor (Teacher in Training)
Mrs. Howard earned her Bachelor of Science in Community Health from Utah Valley University in 2016. Mrs. Howard loves to learn new things. In her spare time she likes to play tennis with her husband, bake, be outside in the sun, and spend time with family. Mrs. Howard is excited to make a difference here at American Preparatory Academy!
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Emily Kunz
Instructor
Ms. Kunz started working at American Prep in 2017. She is originally from Buckley, Washington and has lived in Utah since 2014. She is currently attending college online, through BYU-I . She has grown so much personally and professionally working at APA and has a big heart for all of the staff and students.
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Amidy O'Meara
Instructor
Mrs. O'Meara has been with American Prep since 2017. She has a step-daughter and two boys. She loves her family and all her animals as well. She has lived in Utah for her whole life. Mrs. O'Meara graduated from Lehi High School in 2007. She is super excited for another fun, exciting, and energetic year at APA.
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Tanu Pant
Instructor
Mrs. Pant has been an Elementary Instructor with American Preparatory Academy since 2017. She has a Post Graduate Diploma in Counseling Psychology from India. She has previously worked as a Counselor in a school and a corporate set up. Mrs. Pant has written a couple of short stories for children, which have been published in an online magazine. She also has a passion for storytelling.
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Brenna Wiscombe
Instructor
Ms. Wiscombe has worked at American Preparatory Academy as an Upper Grades Instructor since 2017. She graduated from Bingham High School in 2015. She loves spending time outdoors, reading, and learning new things. She enjoys her time baking and cooking and trying new restaurants. She is the 7th of 9 children and loves her family. She loves answering questions and helping people learn.
xSupport Team
McKinley Carman
Front Office Secretary
Ms. Carman is an attendance-recording, office-organizing, temperature-taking secretary by day, and a dark-chocolate eating, laundry-loving, mama-of-six by night.
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Jacquie Chappell
Academic Coach
Mrs. Chappell graduated from both Ricks College and BYU earning her teaching degree in Elementary Education and a minor in French. She has loved being a part of American Preparatory Academy since its doors first opened in 2003 and holds a special place in her heart for each of the children she has ever taught. While at APA, Mrs. Chappell has taught 1st and 4th grades, and has filled the role as an administrator. She’s married to the wonderful man who does a lot of our American Prep signs, mom to 4 daughters and a son (who attended American Prep), and grandma to 12. She would love to travel more, but she has climbed the Great Wall of China and has visited her eldest daughter’s family in Japan. While she thoroughly enjoys reading and watching her flock of chickens and ducks, her summers wouldn’t be complete without hugging and loving on the grandchildren and growing and tending her large garden.
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Pamela Gibbons
Curriculum Assistant
Mrs. Gibbons started working for American Prep, as a curriculum assistant, at the West Valley 2 campus, in 2015. After a few months Pam was moved to the Draper 2 campus, where she continues to work as a curriculum assistant. In 2001, Pam went to Bridgerland Applied Technology, to become a Certified Nurse’s Assistant, and worked as a CNA, taking care of the elderly, for 10 years. During that time she also attended Myotherapy College of Utah, and in 2005 she became a nationally certified Massage Therapist. In 2013, Mrs. Gibbons went back to school once more and got an Associate of Science degree from Salt Lake Community College. Mrs. Gibbons says that her greatest accomplishments and gifts to society are her 4 children.
xSpecial Education and Speech Team
Jody Jensen
SPED Case Manager Coach
Mrs. Jensen started her career in special education in 1990. She has taught in Utah and Arizona. She took 10 years off to stay at home with her children and, when she went back to work, there was no question what she wanted to do. She loves working with IEP teams to find better ways of helping students with special needs. She graduated from Utah State University and began teaching even before she graduated. There is a huge need for teachers in special education! She has worked in resource rooms and spent 8 years running a behavior unit in Jordan School District. While working in the unit, she received the Special Education Teacher of the Year award from the Jordan Education Foundation. Mrs. Jensen joined the American Prep team in 2013 and is excited for each new year!
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Kim Erickson
Speech Language Pathologist
In 2004, with a determination to provide the best educational opportunities for her children, Mrs. Erickson began her journey with American Prep. She has had the privilege of working to improve communication skills of students at APA since that time. Mrs. Erickson graduated from Brigham Young University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Disorders and in 1993 with a Master of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology. After graduation, she completed her Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY) while living in Orange County, California. She has special interest, passion, and devotion in serving children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)--a severe neurological speech disorder that affects a child’s ability to clearly and correctly produce syllables and words. In addition to Mrs. Erickson’s experience working with children in an educational setting, she has also worked with adults in acute care, subacute care, and rehabilitation settings. She has had wonderful mentors and has made lifelong friends along the way. Mrs. Erickson and her husband are the parents of seven children and the proud grandparents of one adorable grandson. Her family is her life.
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