W H O ' S W H O
Higher Ground Learning is a team of local educators, graduate students, musicians, artists, athletes, and active community members. Our staff members' qualifications include university degrees and years of experience in diverse fields: special education, engineering, nursing, music, finance, public health, journalism, fine art, psychology, history, math, and chemistry. We share a passion for teaching, working with youth, and creative education.
A D M I N I S T R A T O R S
 Executive Director COVETED SUPERPOWER: flying
WORST INJURY: broken hand with a bone sticking out THEME SONG: "Harder Than You Think", Public Enemy GUILTY PLEASURE: weekend crosswords STRANGEST ENCOUNTER: India, all of it UNIQUE EXPERIENCE: led an expedition in the Alaskan wilderness Eric Brown graduated from Princeton University with a BA in anthropology. He claims he arrived in Utah by car (although legend has it he arrived by bear) and currently enjoys snowboarding, backpacking and volleyball. Eric has spent time teaching youth in wilderness therapy and experiential learning environments. Eric believes that making the interaction between student and tutor lively and interesting is paramount to a successful learning experience; Eric adds that “results will come naturally if the student enjoys the process.”
S U B J E C T S I T U T O R
|  Executive Director RECURRING DREAM: scientist navigating goods & evils of alien civilizations
RECENT READS: Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene CREATIONS: Greenland sea kayak ADVENTURES: Wind Rivers of WY by motorbike THEME SONG: “Southern Cross”, Crosby, Stills & Nash STRANGEST ENCOUNTER: nearly trampled by Guanacos while in a rut Jacob Hansen grew up in the ‘burbs of SLC and became a man in the woods of Yellowstone. He earned a B.A. in History/English Education and is currently working on a master’s degree in systems dynamics at the U of U. Jacob believes that an essential element in successful tutoring is knowing when to push and challenge a student, and when to back off and allow the student to progress on their own. Jacob can be found playing music or hunting & gathering. He dreams of a 1,000-mile horse ride through Patagonia in the near or distant future.
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 Program Manager PLANS/DREAMS: run marathon barefoot
INSPIRED BY: Nikola Tesla CREATIONS: mixed media project with found wood, plasma cutters, & welding RECENT READS: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez UNIQUE EXPERIENCE: riding into herd of wild horses on a bike in Boliva RECURRING DREAM: never-ending bike wheelies Jason Topa is a recovering outdoor junkie who also happens to be an outstanding tutor. Jason earned a BA in philosophy from Brown University and believes that establishing a relationship with trust and respect is key to any student-tutor learning process. He’s gleaned a lot of inspiration from some amazing professors who were skilled communicators that fostered real relationships with students. When not tutoring, Jason enjoys hiking, back country snowboarding, running, mountain biking, playing music and writing. He is obsessed with constantly challenging himself mentally and physically.
S U B J E C T S I T U T O R
|  Events Coordinator RECENT READS: Youth in Revolt
COVETED SUPERPOWER: time travel INTERESTING FACT: I'm wicked funny THEME SONG: "You Could Be Mine", Guns N' Roses INSPIRED BY: Mr Mike from the Boys & Girls Club COLLECTIONS: tattoos Greg Covello grew up in Massachusetts and came to Utah to attend the U of U, which was “a great opportunity for me to snowboard every day.” After a few blissful powder seasons balanced with coursework, Greg graduated in 2006 with a BA in Social & Behavioral Science. He maintains an educational philosophy that’s short and sweet: You don’t necessarily have to like this, but you gotta do it, so let’s find a way that works for you. When not dropping knowledge bombs at HGL, Greg likes to make “wicked funny” jokes, play baseball, go snowboarding, and ride his motorcycle around town.
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 Student Support & Online Presence Coordinator PONDERING: pros & cons of goofing off my sr. year vs. building my resume
COVETED SUPERPOWER: book and/or information osmosis GUILTY PLEASURE SONG: "The Final Countdown", Europe STRANGEST ENCOUNTER: explained my "frog" hurt, in French (I meant my knee) RECURRING DREAM: glass library where I'm chased by a huge monster HIDDEN TALENT: I am really good at karaoke. Emilie Jensen(or “EmJen” round these parts) grew up in Utah and is a West High alum. Emilie is currently finishing her B.A. in international studies with a minor in French and a certificate in international relations at the U of U. She is addicted to traveling the world (having been to France twice) and never plans to stop. Not surprisingly, Emilie’s dream is to move to Washington, D.C. and then become a foreign service officer overseas. In her spare time, she practices photography (Nikon D5000 as her weapon of choice) and likes to go backpacking and hiking in the wilds of southern Utah.
|  Office Manager WORST INJURY: concussion at 5 yrs old, when chasing my brother on my bike
RECENT ADVENTURES: rode bike 117 miles - Portland, OR to Chehalis, WA INTERESTING FACT: I have an older fraternal twin sister (only by 6 minutes) ANIMAL I RESEMBLE: hummingbird or monkey COLLECTIONS: paper ephemera FAVORITE QUOTE: Eric: "What game are you playing?", Summer Workshop Kid: "Man Captures Horse, Horse Defends Himself" Emily Moroz grew up with three siblings in the wilds of Essex Jct., Vermont. In 2007, she graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a BFA in Crafts (concentration in Fiber Arts) and moved to Utah to be closer to family. When not lassoing phone calls, wrangling kids, and scheduling her heart out, Emily likes riding bikes (she currently owns two and fears her collection is just beginning), drawing comics, cooking, picnicking, taking care of chickens, hiking, camping, swimming and making zines. She dreams of touring the world on a bicycle while writing and teaching about it on the way.
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I N S T R U C T O R S
 COVETED SUPERPOWER: flying, or multiple perspectives
WORST INJURY: broken collarbone on college graduation weekend THEME SONG: The Lord of the Rings movie theme UNIQUE EXPERIENCE: studied abroad in Spain... twice! RECURRING DREAM: it involves dinosaurs and a very terrified Patrick HIDDEN TALENT: I can wiggle my left ear even while tutoring math A Sugar House native, Patrick Fericks graduated from Judge Memorial High School in ‘07 and earned his BA in Spanish & Latin American studies from Westminster in 2011. Patrick has tried to pursue other activities and interests, but always just ends up playing, dreaming and talking about soccer: “It’s what keeps my heart beating.” As a tutor, Patrick the fútbol aficionado never gives students their answers freely. “When you can do the work yourself, the correct answers will reveal themselves in due time,” he adds. Patrick’s plans for the future include never leaving a place without making friends and contacts.
S U B J E C T S I T U T O R
|  RECURRING DREAM: tornadoes & dinosaurs rampage; I hide in my basement
COLLECTIONS: pottery from foreign countries ANIMAL I RESEMBLE: bearcat HIDDEN TALENT: secretly a lumberjack (or jill, if you will) OBSESSION: recipe websites & compulsive baking WORST INJURY: snapped clavicle in half during softball warmups Jenna Moffatt grew up in little ol’ Watertown, South Dakota, and followed her husband to Utah. Jenna graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a biological science major with minors in Spanish, mathematics and psychology. Her grandmother taught for 54 years, and inspired Jenna’s tutoring approach. She views every student as a fully capable individual with a unique passion for learning. When she gets a break from her busy life, Jenna reads page-turners, goes camping, and volunteers her time within the community. Her plans for the future include a Masters of Public Health or a professional medical career.
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 INSPIRED BY: Bill Nye the Science Guy
PONDERING: inter-dimensional travel, pirate radio RECENT READS: Gödel, Escher, Bach RECENT ADVENTURES: fishing in the Uintas GUILTY PLEASURE: Soulja Boy FAVORITE QUOTE: "Everybody is a genius...if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." - Albert Einstein No one at HGL gets more jazzed about equations than Mike Shrieve, who is currently working on a degree in mathematics at the University of Utah. Born in Miami, Mike lived in 5 cities before ending up in Salt Lake City. Mike believes that every student is capable of achieving excellence. When not kicking math's butt, Mike’s interests include snowboarding and listening to his growing collection of phat beats. He plans to obtain a doctorate in mathematics and dreams of becoming a professor and/or billionaire.
S U B J E C T S I T U T O R
|  RECENT READS: The Information by James Gleick
COVETED SUPERPOWER: telekinesis INTERESTING FACT: looking at light helps you sneeze because some optical nerves go through a facial foramen (a hole or opening in a bone) RECENT ADVENTURES: Rogue River, OR; Meadow Lake, UT INSPIRED BY: David Attenborough ANIMAL I RESEMBLE: baby raptor If Elliot Smith could have one superpower, it would be telekinesis. Until his mighty brain achieves this ability, Elliot is happy moving words, equations and test prep problems around on scrap paper instead. Elliot graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S. in psychology and a minor in math. He’s currently pursuing a PhD (ABD) at the U of U in neuroscience. As for his academic inspiration, Elliot thanks naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough for his passion and accessibility.
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 RECENT READS: the Outlander series
COVETED SUPERPOWER: speak & understand all languages GUILTY PLEASURE: watching Antiques Roadshow UNIQUE EXPERIENCE: lived in a commune, 50 person co-op COLLECTIONS: magazine cutouts for collages HIDDEN TALENT: used to be an Irish dancer (like Riverdance) Hailing from Chico, CA, Dare Turner graduated from Stanford University in June 2011 with a B.A. in comparative literature and spent the summer working at Yellowstone National Park. At summer’s end, she landed a job at the Utah Museum of Natural History, arriving in Utah ready to hone her teaching skills, which she demonstrates with dynamic, energetic prowess. Dare’s modus operandi for tutoring is to make all boring subjects fun. When not teaching essay writing skills or test prep, Dare enjoys yoga, playing tennis, Jeopardy, and reading. She dreams of becoming a curator for the Smithsonian.
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INTERESTING FACT: worked as a veterinary technician for a few years
RECURRING DREAM: that my teeth are falling out PONDERING: how to make a living fly fishing COLLECTIONS: over 300 cans of spray paint -- does that count? OBSESSION: brushing my teeth so they don't fall out FAVORITE QUOTE: "It will feel better when it quits hurtin'." - Grandma Miece Born and raised in SLC, Mason began his college career in pre-med, but ended up pursuing (and earning) a BFA in painting and drawing instead. When not teaching the art of the graffiti letter at HGL, Mason enjoys making music, snowboarding, fly fishing, camping, mountain biking and, as of August 2011, being a proud new papa to his son Townes. Mason believes that even the dullest of subjects can be made interesting with the right attitude; rapport with a student is the best way to get there. He dreams about fame and fortune in the future, or at the very least a cabin in the woods.
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