Our Teachers

Megan Lambert

Kindergarten Teacher

I was born and raised in Cache Valley. I went to Logan High and Utah Start University. I love being active - boating, running, skiing, hiking - and when I'm home, you'll often find me baking, gardening, or working on a project around the house. My favorite things are Diet Dr. Pepper, ice cream, and being with my nieces and nephews. One quote I try to live by is: "Life is a marathon, not a sprint."

My Favorites:

Color: Blue
Flower: Daisy
Drink: Diet Dr. Pepper
Hobbies: Reading, Photography, Sewing
Season: Summer
Animal: Moose

Stephanie Parish

Kindergarten Teacher

My name is Stephanie Parish and I LOVE kindergarten! This year will be my 20th year teaching kindergarten! I think kindergarten is magical! 
I grew up in South Ogden and moved to Cache Valley in 2008. I live in Mendon and can't think of a better place to raise kids! I have four children ranging in ages from 14-25 years old. I was lucky to be a stay at home mom for 8 years when they were little. As a family we enjoy exploring National Parks, visiting the Oregon Coast and we especially love Disney vacations. I have a bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education. I'm excited for another fun year!

My Favorites:

Color: Red
Drink: Dr. Pepper
Treat/Snack: Twix & Almond Joy
Food/Restaurant: Chicken & Seafood
Books: I love all children's picture books
Season: Spring

Teresa Myers

First Grade Teacher

Hi! My name is Teresa Myers. I grew up in Mendon and graduated from Mountain Crest and Utah State. I have three children and four grand children. We lived in Colorado for 24 years and I love exploring the outdoors, hiking, biking, and spending time with my family. It's a dream come true to teach school in my beloved hometown of Mendon. I cherish the opportunity to teach young minds to be life long learners.

My Favorites:

Color: Green
Flower: Poppies
Drink: Diet Coke
Treat/Snack: Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Bears
Food/Restaurant: Mexican
Season: Fall

Larissa Swasey

First Grade Teacher

Hi! My name is Larissa Swasey. I've been teaching 1st grade at Mountainside for 10 years! My husband and I raised our four children here in Mendon, UT. We have two sons and two daughters. My happy place is spending time with my grown children. I look forward to being a grandma someday! I love hiking, gardening, flowers, traveling, and spending time outdoors with my family. I love teaching little people and 1st grade is another one of my happy places.

My Favorites:

Color: Purple
Flower: All of them!
Drink: Olipop/Poppi
Food/Restaurant: Mexican Food
Hobbies: gardening, hiking, quilting, crocheting, reading
Season: Fall, Spring, and Summer!

Melissa Anderson

Second Grade Teacher

Hi! I’m Mrs. M Anderson (there’s a few Andersons here). I was born in Canada and lived in North Carolina before moving to Utah to go to Utah State University. I got married 4 years ago to Luke and we have 2 girls and a boy on the way! I’m a big volleyball player and love pickleball too. My family loves to go camping, play games, and you’ll see me at parks. I taught art, 4th, and 3rd grade at River Heights Elementary for 7 years before getting to move out to Mendon and teach at mountainside where I’ve taught 2nd and 3rd grade. I love finding the fun in learning with my students! 

My Favorites:

Color: Green
Drink: Dr. Pepper
Treat/Snack: Crumble Cookies
Food/Restaurant: Super Chix and Chick Fil-A
Hobbies: Sports, Sipping Soda at the Parks, and Baking
Books: Harry Potter
Season: Summer and Fall

Eva Milligan

Second Grade Teacher

Hello! I am Eva Milligan. I've enjoyed teaching 2nd grade at Mountainside Elementary, where I love helping young learners discover their curiosity and confidence. I grew up in beautiful Cache Valley and graduated from Mountain Crest High School. I'm a parent to two wonderful humans and a few lovable pets who keep life busy and fun. I enjoy playing all types of games-from video games to card and board games-which inspires creativity and teamwork in my classroom. Outside of school, you'll often find me reading traveling, or working on creative projects. I'm grateful to be part of this vibrant school community and look forward to every new adventure with my students!

My Favorites:

Color: Turquoise (as well as blues and greens)
Flower: I love house plants
Drink: Water mix-ins, Mtn. Dew, Dr. Pepper
Treat/Snack: Sour stuff, Jerky, Ice cream, candy bars
Food/Restaurant: Thai, Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Pizza, Sushi
Books: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction

Kim Turnbow

Third Grade Teacher

In the beginning of my teaching career I taught Kindergarten, Special Education Preschool and Second Grade. Then I was fortunate to stay home with my four daughters for 10 years. This will be my 12th year teaching 3rd Grade at Mountainside Elementary and I LOVE it. Third Graders are the absolute BEST!

I was raised in Salem, Utah but Cache Valley is definitely my HOME. I met my husband Matt while attending USU and we were lucky enough to be able to stay in the valley. I love spending time with my family and our vacations and outings are usually planned around sports and FOOD. 

I feel very blessed to live in Wellsville where I can have my chickens, goats, cats, and dog. I enjoy taking my dog, Poppy, for walks, reading, thrifting, and decorating my house with old treasures. 

I love teaching at Mountainside where the teachers and staff have become my family. I enjoy my summer but always look forward to having a great new year with awesome students and parents.

My Favorites:

Flower: Daisy
Drink: Dr. Pepper
Food/Restaurant: Angies
Hobbies: Thrifting
Books: Harry Potter Series
Season: Summer

Becky Shelton

Fourth Grade Teacher

In my "free" time I like to do any outdoor activity. I like to hike, go fishing, walk, or work in my garden. I grew up in Providence, Utah. I went to Providence Elementary and graduated from Mountain Crest High School. I have 4 of the best kids in the WORLD!

My Favorites:

Color: Blue
Flower: Gerber Daisy
Drink: Dr. Pepper/Lemonade
Treat/Snack: anything without coconut
Food/Restaurant: anything
Season: Summer 

Karina Wooden

Fourth Grade Teacher

Hello Mountainside friends, my name is Karina Wooden and I teach fourth grade. I love Mountainside Elementary and I am so so excited to teach at such a great school. I have worked at the school since it opened. I was the music specialist for many years and this will be my sixth year teaching fourth grade.

I was born and raised in Sweden and still spend my summers there. I have three adult children who I love very much; a daughter and two sons. I am very excited about a grandson who will soon join the family and make me a first time grandma. I have two adorable dogs and a cute cat.

I love traveling; the ocean and Disneyland as well Walt Disney World are some of my happy places. I also love reading a good book, going to the movies and spending time with my family. I love teaching and I am looking forward to an exciting year with my new fourth grade family!

My Favorites:

Color: Turquoise/ red
Flower: all flowers
Animal: Cats, dogs and dolphins
Drink: Coke Zero
Treat: Chocolate, ice cream and Crumbl cookies 
Book: Harry Potter
Hobbies: Traveling, reading, Disneyland/ Disney World

Morgan Whitman

Fifth Grade Teacher

Hi! My name is Morgan Whitman. I am married to my amazing husband, Josh, and we have two handsome little boys, Cohen and Brooks. I also have two sweet dogs named Charlie and Ellie. Together we love spending time outside and snuggling on the couch watching movies. We also love to travel or go on “benchures”(adventures) as Cohen calls them :) I love all things Disney and watching the magic come to life. My weakness is Diet Dr. Pepper with something salty to go with it! I enjoy planting flowers and watching them become beautiful.  I am a lover of learning and enjoy watching the “lightbulb” moments happen. 

Mountainside Elementary is the absolute best! This will be my third year teaching at Mountainside and I can’t wait to get started! It is going to be a great year full of so much learning and growth. I am so excited to meet you and I can’t wait to be your teacher! 

My Favorites:

Color: Green
Flower: Poppies and Dahlias
Drink: Diet Dr. Pepper
Food/Restaurant: Cafe Rio and Chili's
Season: Spring and Summer
Animal: Dogs

Alyssa Wilson

Fifth Grade Teacher

Hy my name is Alyssa Wilson. I was born in Evanston Wyoming, but did most of my growing up moving around Utah. I started my education at Weber State University and finished at WGU. My family consists of me, my husband, 3 boys, and 2 dogs. I got to stay home with them until my youngest went to kinder, which is when I jumped into education. We have lived in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, but settled back in Utah and love it. I love family and everything that we do together, but especially anything outside.

My Favorites:

Color: Purple
Flower: Snapdragons
Drink: Any coke zero variation
Treat/Snack: 3 Musketeers, Tru Fru Dark chocolate raspberry
Food/Restaurant: Beehive Grill
Hobbies: Baking, home projects, exercise, walks
Books: The only alien on the planet, Out of my mind, Ghost Story Books
Season: Anything but winter
Animal: Dog, Cat, Chicken

Kerry Harris

Sixth Grade Teacher

I have taught Art, Computers, 1st Grade, 5th Grade, and 6th Grade, all here at Mountainside! I attended Elementary in California, junior high in North Ogden and then moved to Mendon for high school. After graduating from Mountain Crest, I attended and graduated from Utah State University. I moved back to Mendon with my family in 1998. I love living and teaching in this wonderful community! I am married and have four children. We have two daughters and two sons, all adults now. Our daughters are married, and we have five grandkids. I love being a mom and grandma! I enjoy traveling and many outdoor recreation activities, including camping, boating, and exploring the mountains in our UTV. Of course, I enjoy doing all of these with my family!

My Favorites:

Color: Navy Blue
Flower: I love all flowers!
Treat/Snack: Chips/salsa and gummy bears
Food/Restaurant: Mexican
Hobbies: Traveling and outdoor recreation
Books: Mystery & Science Fiction
Season: Spring
Animal: Dogs

Jackie Butler

Resource Teacher

I was born in Layton, UT but have lived in Logan since high school graduation. So I think of Logan as my home now. I graduated from Utah State with a dual degree in special education and elementary education. I was so lucky to get a job at the best school in the valley right out of college and going into my 7th year at Mountainside teaching 4th-6th grade Resource. I am married and have 2 beautiful girls. We love to spend time together and you will often find us camping as much as possible in the summer.

My Favorites:

Color: Blue
Flower: Daisies
Drink: Coke
Treat/Snack: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Hobbies: Camping
Season: Fall

Megan Christiansen

Resource Teacher

Hello! My name is Megan Christiansen (AKA Mrs. C)! I grew up in L:ogan and have lived in Cache Valley my entire life. I am married to Kolby, and together we have 4 kids! We love to do anything outdoors as a family, including camping, fishing, and archery. I am going on 15 years of teaching and I love what I do!

My Favorites:

Color: Purple
Flower: Lilacs
Drink: Coke
Treat/Snack: Reece's or Chips and Salsa
Food/Restaurant: Any kind of food!
Hobbies: Archery, Softball, Sewing, Making Custom T-shirts
Season: Summer
Animal: Dachshund

Megan Robertson

Essential Elements Teacher

Hello! My name is Megan Robertson (aka Miss Megan). I grew up in West Jordan and moved to Logan to attend Utah State University. I graduated from USU in 2017 with a Bachelor's Degree in Special Education with a emphasis in Severe Disabilities. I returned to USU and completed my Masters of Science degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Behavior Analysis in 2021. My daughter was born in 2022 and is our whole world! I'm a homebody and like to spend my free time relaxing as much as possible. I love teaching special education and watching my students make progress in all areas of their lives.

My Favorites:

Color: Purple
Drink: Pepsi
Treat: Anything chocolate and peanut butter
Food: Steak
Season: Summer
Animal: Elephant

Emily Anne Fowles

Music Teacher

Hi Mountainside! My name is EmilyAnne Fowles and I love teaching music! I am from Cache Valley and I love it so much I've stuck around. I got my degree in Elementary Education from Utah State and have been learning about and making music since I was little. I play a variety of instruments including flute, piano, and ukulele! If I'm not making music. You might find me baking treats or breads, watching a good show, reading or trying a new craft. Music is for everyone and I am so excited to see all the creativity each student brings to my classroom!

My Favorites:

Color: Pastel Blues, Pinks, & Greens
Flower: Peonies
Treat/Snack: Popcorn, Chocolate
Food/Restaurant: Chick-fil-a
Hobbies: Baking, Reading, Making Music, Crafting
Books: Harry Potter, Dragon Slippers

Gina Hadfield

Computers Teacher

I grew up in Southern California and graduated from USU. My senior year of Hight School I was presenting a project and writing on the board. Mrs. LeShay exclaimed, "You can write and talk at the same time?! You should be a teacher!" I thought, "oh, no, no, no."

My Favorites:

Color: Blue
Treat/Snack: Pretzels
Food/Restaurant: Anything Italian
Hobbies: Gardening & Baking
Books: Paper Bug Princess
Season: Fall

Karen LeFevre

Library Specialist

This past year, as the librarian, has been so much fun. I've named our library "Matilda", and we have enjoyed the creative energy, the imaginations, and joy the students have brought to the biggest classroom in the school. I was born in California, grew up in Washington State. My husband and I have 4 children and 1 grandchild. We have lived in Cache Valley for about 28 years. I have a Bachelors in interior Design, and I'm a certified Pharmacy Technician, and yet, I have found being at Mountainside my true calling. My goal is that the library is a safe, happy place where students feel welcome and positive about who they are, plus the possibilities that are discovered from a book. Everyone is welcome to stop by, say hi to "Matilda" and together we can discover your new favorite story.

My Favorites:

Color: Purple
Flower: Zinnias, Peonies
Drink: Coke Zero
Treat/Snack: Anything with Coconut in it.
Hobbies: Golf, side by side riding, Walking, Photography
Books: Charlotte's Web
Season: Summer
Animal: No current pets. Love Monkeys.