Shannon was born as a natural connector and helper and by the age of eight, she knew she wanted to go into a profession helping people. She never veered from this path, studying psychology and social work at her university and entering the Master of Social Work program shortly after that. She has worked as a Primary Therapist, Clinical Director, Admissions Director, and Marketing and Outreach Director at highly regarded residential and therapeutic programs. Her clinical experience includes county mental health, hospital crisis work, residential treatment, therapeutic boarding, and private practice. These various work experiences have given Shannon a depth of experience to draw from and helped her solidify a caring approach that has led to a natural transition into outreach work. She was drawn to Open Sky because of the comprehensive family component and the holistic approach of the program. 

Shannon has great compassion and understanding for students, families, and those she connects with, stemming from her travels of the world. She has lived overseas in England, Israel, Russia, and China while studying, teaching, and providing mental health counseling. Shannon also had a close family member attend wilderness therapy when she was beginning her studies of psychology and social work, creating a deep respect and appreciation for wilderness therapy. Her professional and family experiences have furthered her passion for helping students and families heal, discover their strengths, build positive relationships, and create meaningful change. 

Shannon grew up in the great Northwest and currently resides in the mountains of Utah. She is married and has two teenage children with whom she loves to travel, hike, play board games, cook, and watch movies. She continues to have a great love for travel and experiencing new places and cultures, and she especially has an interest in learning about and meeting new people. She is always excited to get on an airplane to go somewhere new, then of course, is happy to settle in back home with her family and two dogs.