Meet Sarah, a dedicated and passionate student at Brigham Young University, where she is studying Family Life. As a TBRI Practitioner and a fellow adoptee, Sarah has an incredible drive to help youth and families feel connected. She has spent the last 6 years working directly with children in Professional Proctor Homes, and has also dedicated 4 years of her time to being a foster home for youth of all ages. Recently, Sarah has moved her work over to Raise The Future to further her opportunity to work in home with families and youth. Apart from her professional achievements, Sarah is a loving mother to 4 young children of her own and has a multi-cultural family. When she is not listening to Taylor Swift or adding to her Amazon cart, you can find her pouring up a cold Diet Coke, Kindle in hand, enjoying the local playground with her family, or strolling the Target aisles.

Lily graduated from Dixie State University with her bachelor’s degree in marketing. She is the marketing and communications coordinator here at Raise the Future helping spread awareness about our organization. While getting her degree she worked with many different types of non-profits but the one thing she loved about them - is getting the opportunity to be a part of something meaningful. Although she doesn't work with youth and families directly, she loves being able to share their stories. Outside of work Lily enjoys going to the gym, playing sports, spending time with her family, and watching anime. Lily is also fluent in Spanish!

Shelby is originally from Oregon and graduated with her B.S. in Human Service from Southern Oregon University. While earning her degree, she was a volunteer director for her local Royal Family Kids mentoring program. After she graduated, she transitioned into the child welfare field as a reunification and permanency caseworker with the Dept. of Human Services. This experience sparked Shelby’s interest in practical trauma intervention, and she decided to earn her M.S. in Developmental Trauma from Texas Christian University. There she became a TBRI® practitioner with the hopes of eventually providing coaching and consultation with child welfare families and professionals. She is thankful for the privilege of sharing glimpses of hope and healing with the families she works with. Shelby recently transplanted to Utah and has enjoyed paddleboarding, hiking, and exploring all the beauty this state has to offer!

Ilse grew up in Texas and earned her Bachelor's in Social Work and was an Arts and Advocacy Program Graduate at the University of Utah. Throughout college and after, she worked doing Outreach for different programs and populations experiencing homelessness, including Veterans and Domestic Violence survivors. After which, she worked some time in Substance Use Treatment providing psych educative tools and coping skill building before coming to Raise the Future. Ilse is eager to create, find and build on meaningful connections for children and youth in Foster Care.

Ilse loves to spend time with her Pomeranian, Azul, age 4, loves a rainy day in but loves to hike with her puppy to new waterfalls (but will take the short route!). Ilse is also fluent in Spanish!

Amie has been a junior high classroom teacher for over 25 years in Davis School District. She has taught social studies and occasionally a few science courses. She earned her BA from Weber State in History with a teaching certificate. She eventually went on to get her Utah Social Studies Composite endorsement and a MEd in curriculum design and assessment from Weber State. In 2010 she decided to give the foster care world a try. She fostered 6 kids. Adopted 4 of them and is now a proud grandma to 5. While in the foster care world, she learned the importance of understanding trauma. She started using TBRI with her own children but realized it was a major tool for the classroom as well. She spent the next few years deciphering how to use TBRI in the classroom as well as the home. She became a TBRI Practitioner in May of 2023 and now along with working in her classroom, she now works with Raise the Future to help other educators adopt TBRI in a practical way in the classroom.

Karina graduated from Utah State University with a bachelor's degree in Social Work. While earning her degree, she worked at a residential treatment center. Karina’s favorite part of being a Youth Connections Advocate is spending time with the youth on her caseload and forming unique relationships with each one. Karina loves sports and when not working, you can find her at a sporting event or watching sports at home.

Iftu from Utah Valley University with a degree in Behavioral Science with an emphasis on family studies. Throughout college and after, Iftu worked with kids in the elementary school system and as a behavioral technician helping with their development. Iftu is enjoys working at of Raise the Future, being that she is adopted and has seen how helpful having resources available can be. It makes her more excited about her role at the organization and her contribution. When she’s not playing with her son, you can catch her watching tv and eating whatever her husband cooks up for them.

Breanna Tellez earned her bachelor's degree in Behavioral Science with a sociology emphasis at Utah Valley University. Her previous experience was working with refugee foster youth. Breanna is passionate about making connections with youth and empowering them to find their voice. Breanna’s favorite part about working at Raise the Future is bonding with youth and seeing them grow. On her free time, Breanna enjoys listening to music, outdoor activities, and spending time with family and friends. Breanna is also fluent in Spanish!

Addison comes from a small farm town in northern Utah and is a graduate from BYU with a degree in Political Science. She works for Raise the Future as a Development Manager, cultivating relations and secure donations. She has previously worked for the Utah House of Representatives, the Point of the Mountain Chamber of Commerce, and the Church of Jesus Chris to Latter-day Saints in their New York Public Relations Office. Her hobbies are reading, paddle boarding, golfing, quilting and sky diving. She is passionate about the mission of Raise the Future and impact that is has in the lives of those that truly need it.

Eryn is a current student at Weber State University earning her bachelor’s degree in Family Studies. Before joining Raise the Future, Eryn worked at DCFS for three years as an Adoption Case Manager, helping and supporting families before and after adopting through foster care. Eryn’s favorite part about working for Raise the future is connecting and interacting with youth and being part of a team that creates hope! Outside of work Eryn enjoys spending time with her husband and children, watching her daughter splay sports, reading, and watching movies, and loves to travel!

Rylee graduated for Utah State University with a bachelor's degree in Social Work. While earning her degree, she worked in a children's shelter and interned in juvenile probation in a rural area of Utah. Rylee managed a family support center in Logan, UT and ran the adoption respite program for foster and adoptive families there. After graduating, Rylee spent a year as a caseworker for the Utah Division of Child and Family Services before coming to Raise the Future. Outside of work, Rylee is an avid runner and enjoys training for races. She can often be found backpacking, four wheeling, and listening to true crime podcasts. Rylee is married to her high school sweetheart, and they love to go on road trips together.

Andrea earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work with a minor in Family and Human Development at Utah State University. After graduating Andrea worked as a Caseworker for The Division of Child and Family Services. As a caseworker Andrea gained experience working with family preservation, foster care to adoption, and Transition to Adult Living. It was through this work that Andrea recognized a growing need for passionate professionals in the Child Welfare field and identified her desire to do more for children in foster care. Andrea truly enjoys working with youth and feels strongly that all kids deserve to be loved. Andrea is excited and optimistic about the opportunities she will have to create healthy support networks for children in Foster Care. Andrea is a person that is constantly trying to improve herself both professionally and personally. Andrea loves reading and learning new things. She also enjoys spending time with her family. Andrea has been married for over 10 years and has 5 amazing kids that are the center of her world and that she loves with her whole heart.

Lisa graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Family Life. After college, Lisa spent 3 years working in a women’s substance abuse treatment facility that specialized in helping reunify families torn apart by addiction. Lisa then joined Raise the Future as a Youth Connections Advocate where she spent 3 years helping youth find their forever families. Lisa then moved over to our Family Support team where she currently works as a Family Coach, using TBRI® principles to help families connect and find joy in their family relationships. Lisa loves baking bread, gardening, drinking Diet Dr. Pepper, and crocheting.

Gabbi earned her bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Studies with an emphasis on Social Work from Weber State University. Before becoming a Youth Connections Advocate, she worked as the Recruitment Coordinator where she learned about the child welfare system on a professional level. Due to personal experience she wanted to help teenagers in the foster care system help see the importance of having connections, regardless of age. Fun fact about Gabbi is she was adopted as an adult at the age of 21! Gabbi's favorite part about working at Raise the Future is interacting with the youth and seeing their personal growth. When she is not at work, Gabbi enjoys traveling and spending time with her family which consists of her husband and three children.

Kendra earned her bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science with an emphasis in Social Work from Utah Valley University. After graduating, and prior to joining Raise the Future, Kendra worked as a Foster Care Program Manager for the Division of Child and Family Services. It was through this work that Kendra developed a passion for adoption and for children in foster care. Kendra then worked as a Youth Connections Advocate for 4 years and enjoyed supporting the children and families we serve. Outside of work, Kendra loves traveling and seeking adventure. She also enjoys being outdoors, camping, hiking, playing games with friends and making chocolate chip cookies. Kendra mostly loves spending time with her husband and their children, who she adores.

Kathy Searle has worked in the field of adoption for over 30 years, with experience in international, private and special needs adoption. She is currently Vice-President of Utah Programs at Raise the Future. Kathy is passionate about finding homes for children waiting in foster care and providing services to families after adoption. Kathy has worked with Refugee populations and is licensed as a school counselor. She served on the State of Utah Social Work Licensing Board from 2009 - 2013 and other various other boards over the years. She is a Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Practitioner, a therapy specifically designed to help children with early trauma and their families Kathy has a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Utah. Kathy and her husband Ned are the parents of 11 children. Eight of their children joined their family through adoption.

Alba received her Bachelor and Master of Social Work degrees from the University of Utah. Prior to working at Raise the Future, Alba worked as a program director at Centro de la Familia, a non-profit organization that serves the Latino community in the State. Alba has been with Raise since 2016 and strongly believes in the agency’s vision that every youth deserves to go through life knowing they have a caring adult by their side. Before joining our management team, Alba was a Connections Advocate and learned a great deal from the youth she served. Alba is now a TBRI® Practitioner and leads our Spanish-Speaking services through our Family Support Program. In her spare time Alba enjoys traveling, the outdoors, and spending time with family and friends. Alba and her husband have a beautiful daughter who keeps them busy!

Brandie Naylor is the Director of Family Support and has been with Raise the Future for eight years. She graduated from Weber State University with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Family Studies and is now working on her master’s degree at Utah State University. She has been working in child welfare for 25 years. She has been employed at residential treatment facilities and provided mentoring for Davis Behavioral Health. She also assisted in the classroom and counseling offices for the Ogden School District and Maui Hawaii School District. She was also employed with the State of Utah Division of Child & Family Services at The Christmas Box House children's shelters and with Child Protective Services. Brandie has also worked with at-risk children in Oregon and with the Tlingit and Haida Tribes in Alaska. Brandie is trained by the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development as a Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) Practitioner and frequently provides training on this model to parents and professionals.

Lindsay Kaeding is the Director of Donor Relations and Communications for Raise the Future. She graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology and a Certificate in Criminology. She has been employed with Raise the Future for 18 years and works full time in order to raise sufficient funds for the organization. In addition to fundraising for the Utah office, Lindsay manages all social media accounts and coordinates all design work for Raise the Future. She has also worked as the Design Director for Utah’s Adoption Connection magazine since its first edition in November of 2002. Lindsay currently resides in South Jordan with her husband and two kids.