Our Staff

The history of Thorup Tutoring and how it can help your child.

Administration

Nancy Williams

- CEO / Director

Nancy Williams has tutored children for over 30 years. She has extensive experience in the areas of ADHD and learning disabilities. She has a degree from the University of Utah in Elementary Education. She worked for 7 years as a tutor for Dr. Sam Goldstein and Dr. David Nilsson, focusing on children with learning disabilities, head injuries, and ADHD.

Traci Baird

- Administrative Assistant

Traci is the administrative assistant for Thorup Tutoring Company. She does everything from invoices, to paychecks, to shopping for candy for the kids! She has lived in Holladay most of her life. She has worked for Thorup Tutoring for 13 years. The business would not run nearly as smoothly without Traci! She has five children and 10 grandchildren. Traci loves to read, work on family history, and have her family around her.

Academic Coaches - Tutors

Beverly Lippman

Beverly Lippmann was the recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award at two schools. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Utah State University with post-graduate studies at Chapman University.

Christena Keller Ensign

Christena has a master’s degree in education with an advanced reading endorsement from Westminster College where her thesis explored teaching critical thinking skills through reading and literature.

Abi Olufeko

Abi holds a BS and an MS in Petroleum Engineering from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. He has worked in the capacity of a field engineer in the oil industry.

Sam Jones

Sam is graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in biology. He is currently working on earning his master’s degree in education, hoping to be a high school teacher in the future. While his favorite subjects to teach are math and science, Sam has experience helping with all core subjects at any grade level. Sam believes that with the right support, any student can be successful in their education.

Madison Ackroyd

Madison is currently a student at the University of Utah studying music composition on a presidential scholarship. With a wide academic background, she has not only spent considerable time singing, playing the piano, and writing music but also working in two genetics undergraduate research laboratories. Madison's academic excellence is highlighted by her designation as an Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2019 participant, National Merit Finalist, Bechtel Global Scholar, and AP Capstone Diploma recipient. Madison enjoys reading, attending Utah Symphony performances, cooking, and visiting her family out of state.

Alex Knorpp

Alex is currently pursuing a biochemistry degree at the University of Utah. She was raised in Holladay and attended Olympus High School, where she found a passion for language arts, history, and science. In her free time, Alex loves to read, write, and bake, and she dabbles in language learning and the fine arts.

Alyssa Mott

Alyssa is a student at the University of Utah. She grew up in the Holladay area, graduating from Olympus High School with a 3.9 GPA. She took many Concurrent Enrollment classes there. Her favorite subjects are math and physics, and she loves spending her free time sewing and playing with her dogs.

Markus Gulla

Markus is a dedicated computer engineering student with a strong interest in advancing the capabilities of virtual and augmented reality systems through haptic feedback and brain-computer interfaces. In his free time, he enjoys hiking in the mountains and spending time with friends!

Kayman Selcho

Kayman grew up in Holladay and is a Junior at Olympus High School. He enjoys, rock climbing, track and field, math, science, and the like. After high school, he plans to go to college for engineering. He is excited to help students understand the "why?" for learning.

Sherilyn Swenson

Teaching is one of Sherilyn’s passions!

She combines it with her love of animals and design.

Sherilyn encourages her students to read every day with their best friends (pets) because dogs and cats don’t care if you make mistakes and are happy to help you practice as a bonding experience.

Sherilyn also believes that students should be able to choose what they read at home because interest is an effective motivator for learning and the confidence that experience builds leads to success.

Sherilyn has been teaching since 2006 in multiple formats including early intervention in students’ homes with their families, schools in both regular and special education classrooms, and tutoring – initially by request and now at our center.

Sherilyn’s background includes both design and teaching degrees. Her graduate degree in education includes special training and certification in early childhood development, early intervention, neurological and visual disorders, special education, reading, and individualization of learning techniques for each child based on their interests and abilities.

Sherilyn also has a Utah State teaching license.

“Children don’t care what you know until they know that you care”.

Sherilyn genuinely loves children and helping them be able to do their best brings her great joy.

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McKale Bladen

McKale was brought up in Hyrum, UT and since then has adventured throughout Utah. In 2021, she graduated from Southern Utah University with her BS in both Psychology and Exercise Science. After college she became a Behavioral Technician and tutor for children struggling with Autism, ADHD, and other challenges. McKale understands that school can be difficult and hard to be motivated in especially with the many challenges that may be going on in life, which is why she loves to bring fun into education.

Cassidy Crosby

Cassidy recently graduated with a B.A. in English from BYU, where she worked as a tutor for student athletes. That job sparked her passion for helping others succeed academically. She believes that academic success is possible for everyone, and loves helping students realize that they can achieve it.

James Bailey

James is a graduate from Brigham Young University and has a B.S in Biology and a B.A in Spanish Studies. He plans to continue his education by returning to school to work towards a master's degree in Biology Education. In his experience working in the education field, he has found mentoring and helping students to be one of the most rewarding things he has done.

Brady Prskalo

Brady graduated from Murray High in 2023 and is now attending the University of Utah for Mechanical Engineering, where he expects to graduate in 2027. In his free time, he enjoys rock climbing, running, hiking, and playing guitar, which he has played for 6 years. Some of his favorite subjects from high school include math, science, psychology, and history. He specializes in math and science because of his degree, but can deal with most subjects at hand and is a great mentor!

Macy Thompson

Macy graduated from Skyline High School in 2024 and is currently attending the University of Utah. She graduated with AP and IB credits. Her best subjects are Math, English, and History. Macy enjoys finding creative ways to learn for kids who struggle with paying attention and staying on task. She believes that everyone can enjoy learning if they are learning the way that works best for them! For fun, she enjoys animating, painting, and spending time outdoors.

Jenny Frisby

Jenny has tutored for over three years as well as substituted for middle and high schools in the Alpine School District. She strives for academic excellence in herself, as well as her students. She moved to Salt Lake County last year and has loved the area and community she has made. When not helping students she spends her time playing piano, reading, and playing with her cats.

Evan Thomas

Evan is currently attending the University of Utah's Doctor of Physical Therapy program. He earned his B.S in Exercise Science in 2025 from Utah Tech University and was valedictorian of his class. For fun, he enjoys running, climbing peaks, and swimming. He is passionate about helping students understand difficult subjects and strives to improve student self-esteem and test-taking skills.

Ashlyn Christensen

Ashlyn graduated from Murray High School where she took many AP and SLCC classes. Her favorite subjects are math and biology. She will be attending the University of Utah in the fall where she will major in Biology with an emphasis in neuroscience in hopes to become a psychiatrist.

Marie Desrochers

Marie Desrochers holds a MS in Art Conservation from the University of Delaware. She has a diverse educational background in chemistry, art, and history, and she has worked at cultural heritage institutions and museums across the country. She is originally from Arkansas and moved to Salt Lake City in 2021.