HAWTHORN ACADEMY - Key Persons
Hi! I am Mrs. Griffith. I have a Bachelor's degree from BYU and a Master's degree from the University of Utah with 3 additional endorsements. I recently retired from a neighboring district after 30 years of teaching students how to read and providing professional development for teachers. I am excited to be working at Hawthorn Academy and helping teachers and students be successful in literacy!
My husband and I have 4 married children and 8 grandchildren and we love to watch them and participate in all of their activities.
Job Titles:
- West Jordan Elementary Principal
Job Titles:
- Curriculum and Assessment Director
Hello! I am Mrs. Garcia. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and moved to Utah in 2013. I graduated from BYU-Idaho with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. This will be my 9th year teaching! My husband and I have two sons and a husky. We love to take them camping and hiking in the beautiful mountains.
I am excited to serve on the board of trustees for Hawthorn Academy! I have experience in education, both as a parent and as a teacher. I have served on the PTA for a local elementary school in various roles including Membership, Secretary, and Treasurer. I am currently a resource teacher for students from kindergarten through 3rd grade, and love making a positive impact in the lives of students and providing them with a learning experience where they feel empowered. My educational background is in economics, mathematics, and special education. I enjoy being involved in the community by volunteering and participating in various school activities.
In my free time, I enjoy spending quality time with my husband and two daughters, hiking, doing yoga, watching movies, baking, and playing video games. I am a passionate advocate for parental involvement in education. I am committed to using a collaborative approach to foster positive relationships with Hawthorn parents, staff, and community stakeholders to create an enriched educational experience for families. My goal is to ensure that Hawthorn Academy continues to be an amazing school!
Job Titles:
- Superintendent & Lead Director / Good Day
Eagles! My name is Floyd Stensrud, and I have been selected as your new Lead Director. I am very excited about this new venture and the prospect of getting to know each of you and being a part of your community and its academic journey. Following in my father's footsteps, I have been involved in education for many years starting out teaching English and reading to middle school students in Jordan School District and as a school and district administrator in both Jordan and Canyons School Districts. This is where my heart is.
Job Titles:
- Communications Coordinator
I have served on the Board since inception and believe it or not I was the one who actually got all of this started as crazy as that sounds. I was told if I wanted to start a public charter school I would need at least two things a passion for education and the willingness to make time. Fortunately, I had both along with my inspiration my two AWESOME children and I was able to find other like-minded parents to help make it happen.
I believe that having a choice in education is important to our children and their future, whether it be to prepare them for college or a career after high school. As a parent I know being actively involved in their education is crucial if we want them to succeed in reaching their goals by making opportunities for them to become responsible for their own education and letting them know they have a voice, too.
My interest in teaching actually began after completing high school. In college, I discovered that some of my most enjoyable classes had less to do with the subjects themselves, and more to do with my professors' engaging teaching methods. I was fascinated by the talent they had to create meaningful connections with their students. This is my seventh year at Hawthorn. I am excited to be a part of this school's bright future in education.
My name is Mrs. Leavitt. I graduated with my bachelor's degree in elementary education from University of Phoenix and my master's degree in education from Southern Utah University. I taught third grade for five years before I moved to fifth grade and I have loved them both. I have also taught preschool and been a reading specialist. Before becoming a teacher I received a degree in Interior Design from LDS Business College. I love to be creative and artistic. I love learning.
I am married to an amazing man and we have four kids who are all grown. We have 1 dog, Cash, 2 grand-puppies named Olly and Tank and lots of chickens.
I love spending time with my family. I like having movie nights, paint night, camping on our property, and playing with my chickens. I also love sitting in my backyard enjoying nature.
I believe that students should be involved in their learning and that learning should be fun and exciting.
Job Titles:
- West Jordan Middle School Principal
I love being part of the Hawthorn Academy family. This year will be my 20th year in education and my 13th year at Hawthorn. I was here when it first opened and frantically helped build the desks and tables the night before the school opened. Hawthorn Academy is my home and it is filled with great teachers, parents and students. This year will be my 4th year as an Administrator at Hawthorn Academy and I am looking forward to working with all the middle school students.
I earned my Bachelor's degree from Sterling College in Kansas (while on soccer and softball scholarships) and my Master's degree from WGU. It was a great experience to be able to have my kids watch me walk in my Master's commencement in August 2019. I want them to see that they can reach any goal they set for themselves as long as they keep trying.
I love being able to work with and get to know all the students in the school and am looking forward to another great school year. It is a pleasure to come to school each day to work alongside a phenomenal faculty and staff and to experience all the wonderful personalities of all of our students.
My husband and I have 4 children, who have all gone through Hawthorn Academy. Our daughter is a Senior in high school and my boys are in 10th, 8th and 4th grades. We are a huge soccer family, so when we are not in school we are on a soccer field somewhere.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Principal & ELL Coordinator
My name is Rachel Zager and I am the Kitchen Director for both Hawthorn Academy campuses. I grew up in the Silicon Valley of the San Francisco Bay area in California. I moved to Utah with my husband and son in 2010. I have been at Hawthorn Academy since July 2020. We operate under the Nation School Lunch Program. Our goal is to serve delicious and nutritious meals to students in order to improve children's food habits with the ultimate goal of developing healthy adults.
Job Titles:
- Special Education Director
Job Titles:
- Physical Education Specialist