Vanessa grew up in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont then headed west to attend Prescott College in Arizona where she received her BA in Sociological Studies.  Vanessa’s first class at Prescott College was Wilderness Orientation; a three-week backpacking expedition in the beautiful desert mountains and canyons of northern Arizona.  This experience introduced her to the transformative power of extended time in the outdoors as well as the value of small group experiential learning.

During her time in college, Vanessa worked at a youth shelter facilitating life skills groups and created and implemented a community art project focused in youth empowerment through creative and expressive arts.  This initial experience with youth and families in a therapeutic setting led Vanessa to a therapeutic boarding school in northern Utah where she worked as a direct care staff before transitioning to the Admissions department.  Most recently, Vanessa put her organizational skills and passion for working with youth and families to work as an administrator at a Montessori school where she could watch her young sons begin their educational journey.

Vanessa is excited to be working at Elements where she can share her love of the Utah landscape and support families on their journey as they discover more about what makes their child and family unique.  Vanessa and her husband and two sons live on an organic farm and spend their family time skiing, biking, and exploring the mountains and deserts of Utah and beyond.