Our Faculty

We are dedicated to employing qualified and experienced teachers. All of our lead teachers possess Bachelor's degrees and/or at least three years of teaching experience, in addition to Montessori Teaching Certifications.

School Administration

Ms. Emily Aune, Director

Ms. Emily has a diverse professional background with expertise in real estate, finance, and special needs education.  She has owned and/or run businesses ranging from floral to property management and brings a wealth of knowledge to Our Journey Montessori School. Emily has a bachelor’s of Arts from Westminster College, with dual majors in Special Education and Montessori Education. One of her hardest but most rewarding positions was working with special needs children at the Carmen B. Pingree school for children with autism.

Emily has a strong love of animals. She brought her love of animals and their healing abilities and practical life properties to the school, where you will see many types of animals. She is married to Josh, they have 4 boys, and 1 girl, you will see bouncing around the school.

Ms. Kacee Ljungberg,  Assistant Director
Kacee Ljungberg serves as our Assistant Director, bringing a wealth of experience and dedication to her role. Having been with Our Journey Montessori since June 2016, Kacee has worked across multiple age groups, including Early Childhood, Infants and Toddlers, and Elementary. Her broad experience allows her to offer a unique perspective on the Montessori approach, ensuring our programs run smoothly and effectively.

Kacee holds Montessori Foundations training from Montessori Innovations and has completed her MACTE certification through Rings of Knowledge. As Assistant Director, she plays a key role in supporting both staff and students, fostering a positive, nurturing environment that aligns with our Montessori philosophy. Her passion for education, combined with her leadership skills, helps create a thriving learning community for all ages.

Outside of work, Kacee is married to Rohr and a proud mother to a toddler son and an infant daughter.

Early Childhood

Ms. Lindsey Pepper, Teacher

Ms. Lindsey’s has been teaching at Our Journey Montessori since 2017. She has received training from Utah Montessori Council and the Institute
for Guided Studies Montessori Teacher Education, both of which served
to instill principles in the way she approaches teaching each and every
day. Lindsey has her Early Childhood Certification from MACTE accredited Rings of Knowledge. Lindsey is a huge advocate of the Montessori method since 2012, when her son Rhadek entered the program and demonstrated quick gains in both his social and academic development. As he fell in love with school and continued to succeed under the Montessori method, she knew that they had found something special. In their spare time Lindsey’s husband, Tyson, Rhadek and her enjoy hiking and occasional trips to visit family
and Disneyland. She also enjoys cooking and hanging out with her dogs “Bella” and “Freya”.

Toddler

Sophia Olsen,  Teacher

Infant Toddler Teacher

Ms. Kacee Ljungberg,  Elementary Teacher
Kacee Ljungberg is our Lead Teacher for the Elementary program. She has been with Our Journey Montessori since June 2016, having previously taught in both Early Childhood and Infants and Toddlers programs before transitioning to Elementary. With her diverse experience, Kacee brings a well-rounded approach to teaching and is excited to focus on the growth and development of her elementary-aged students.

Kacee holds training in Montessori Foundations from Montessori Innovations and is MACTE certified through Rings of Knowledge. Her passion for the Montessori method shines through in her work with elementary children, where she finds immense joy in guiding their academic and personal growth as they explore, discover, and learn.

Outside of the classroom, Kacee is married to Rohr and is the proud mother of a toddler son and an infant daughter.

Specialists

Ms. Alison Atkinson, Curriculum Director, Art specialist, Substitute

Ms. Alison holds a bachelor’s degree in Educational Studies from Western Governors University and is working towards her Master's degree in Education.

She owned and taught preschool at 'Butterflies, Dreams & Fairytales' from 2001-2004 and has taught private and group Art lessons since 1995. She lived in Japan and taught at Excel English from 2012-2014. She has taught for Our Journey Montessori since 2014. She continues to oversee our programs and lessons. She loves art, music, and education. She is married to Mark Atkinson and has 4 children, 2 grandchildren and 500 cats.  

Mr. Josh Aune, STEM and Computer Specialist

Josh has long had a deep curiosity and need to create, driving him to learn about the world around him and create things.  He works in the computing industry where he started by designing and building several super computer systems which debuted in the top 10 in the world followed by a successful storage start up.  Josh maintains our IT systems and teaches the computer club.