Class Aides

Elisa Brazell has a love for education and learning, having taught 5th and 6th grades in the past, but more recently, she has been sharing her love of music as a guitar instructor. She is also an entrepreneur, building an online business, Journey to Become.  Elisa is passionate about self improvement and helping others to live up to their highest potential, through healthy living and healthy thinking. Being a checklist person, she loves to track things and create systems to help herself and others achieve success.  

Elisa loves to hike, walk in the mornings and evenings, read and listen to great books, and play board and card games with her family and friends.

She is excited to be a part of the Mountain Sunrise community!

Ryanne grew up in Southern California with her three younger siblings. She moved to Utah after

High School and has lived here for four years now. Ryanne plans to graduate college as an 

orthopedic technician with a minor in art studies. She has no children of her own but is excited 

to work at MSA and be able to share her talents and passions with the students here.

She loves plants and succulents even though she’s not super great at keeping them alive. 

Ryanne loves taking long road trips where she kayaks in lakes all over the west coast with her 

dog Charlie and one day she plans on having a pet skunk!

Matthew Merkley is from American Fork, Utah. Matthew graduated from Southern Utah University in Political Science and received a Masters in Education from the University of Phoenix. He has taught K-12 and excels at meeting students at their level and learning how to best help each student progress and become the best they can be.

Matthew is married and has two children. He has lived in various places. He especially enjoyed living in the Dominican Republic where he learned Spanish and has continued to help translate Spanish to English during his employment.

Matthew is talented in language arts, has a love of history, books, art theater, music, and animals. In his free time, he enjoys reading, watching interesting documentaries, being outdoors, hiking and camping, and he recently took up oil painting. Matthew enjoys serving and teaching and looks forward to working with the great students and children at Mountain Sunrise Academy.

Karee has been happily married to her husband Michael for over 38 years. They have two children and two granddaughters. Her family lived in Loveland, Colorado where Karee worked in the Thompson school district for many years as a special education paraprofessional.  She moved back to Utah in 2004 and then became an early childhood center director for a licensed preschool and childcare program. 

Susan grew up in Sandy, Utah and has since lived in Las Vegas and Montpelier, Idaho. She has three boys ages 22, 20, and 18 whom have all been raised right here in Saratoga Springs. Susan is looking forward to helping teach your wonderful children.

Emily Cowley is from Farmington, Utah and was just recently married. She is working towards a degree in Human Development and Family Life Studies at Utah State. Her hobbies include raising rabbits and watching basketball! She really enjoys working with the children in Special Education.