About Acton Academy Cache Valley – Private K‑6 School in Logan, Utah.

Aubree Hazard

Co-Founder & Head of School
Acton Academy

Aubree Hazard is the Co-Founder and Head of School at Acton Academy Cache Valley, where she champions a radically learner-driven approach to education. A graduate of Utah State University with a degree in Biological Engineering, Aubree brings a sharp analytical mind and a deep passion for authentic learning to everything she builds.

After excelling in traditional academic settings, earning top honors from kindergarten through college, Aubree stepped back to critically assess her own educational journey. She realized that conventional schooling had rewarded compliance and perfectionism but had often stifled creativity, ownership, and true curiosity. Determined to chart a different course for her own children, she immersed herself in educational models rooted in freedom, mastery, and personal agency.

Her educational philosophy centers on creating environments where children pursue goals they choose, collaborate organically, and grow through meaningful challenges rather than coercion. Discovering the learner-driven model at Acton Academy provided the perfect alignment with her vision.

Today, Aubree leads with the belief that every child deserves the freedom to forge their own path, and that real learning is fueled by ownership, purpose, and joy.

When she is not mentoring young learners, Aubree loves soaking up nature, discussing big ideas, reading classic literature, and adventuring around the globe with her family.

Troy Hazard

Co-Founder 
Acton Academy

Troy is a natural entrepreneur. He has launched multiple successful small businesses, always guided by grit, vision, and a spirit of adventure. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Finance and Economics and considers himself a passionate lifelong learner.

Troy is a steady and loyal friend, a dependable neighbor, and a leader who lets his work and his actions speak for themselves. He leads by example. He thrives in the outdoors and embraces challenges, whether it is on mountain trails, through sports, or in the daily discipline of building something meaningful.

Troy’s greatest joy is his family, his wife Aubree and their four incredible daughters. Together, they live a life full of curiosity, courage, and purpose. Co-founding Acton Academy Cache Valley felt less like a decision and more like a calling, an extension of their shared belief that every child deserves the freedom to explore, discover, and chart their own unique path.

Troy believes in potential - in kids, in adults, and in anyone willing to commit to growing and doing. His favorite saying is, “Just go for it.”

Shalleen Balle

Elementary (Discovery) Guide
Acton Academy

Shalleen is a passionate educator with nearly a decade of experience working with families and fostering student growth. She believes deeply in student-driven, real-world learning and in meaningful discussions that inspire curiosity and independence.

With a background in leadership, strategic planning, and program development, Shalleen uses carefully developed Socratic discussion skills to guide her fellow travelers, the heroes in her studio, as they build a thriving learning environment. She respects each learner as a genius with unique capabilities and gifts to contribute, making time to lovingly guide each individual to discover their strengths and change the world.

Jadie Snow

Lower Elementary Studio Guide
Acton Academy

I’m Jadie Snow, someone who lights up when it comes to learning and helping children feel important, seen, and loved. I believe that when kids are given space to be creative and curious, they’ll discover they already have so much to offer the world.

Life hasn’t always been easy. I had a hard childhood with a lot of pain, but I’ve made it my mission to break that cycle. Those experiences shaped me, but they don’t define me. They’ve given me strength and empathy that I now get to pour into others.

My journey has taken me through many milestones: earning my degree in Elementary Education, becoming a mother to my two greatest teachers, Nya (5) and Noah (2), living in different places while chasing dreams from college athletics to missions to teaching, and learning with each step that growth always comes when you choose courage.

Acton feels alive. It’s a place where children are trusted to lead their own learning, and I get to walk beside them on that journey. I love helping them see that what makes them different is actually their gift. All the things I was once told were wrong about me I’ve come to see as strengths. And now, I get to help these learners see the same truth in themselves.

Emily Kendall

Montessori Assistant
Acton Academy

I am a Cache Valley native, and after spending many years away, I’m grateful to be back raising my family here. I’ve always been passionate about learning, both about the physical world and the diverse cultures within it. I hold a degree in Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations and Comparative Politics, and I’ve had the opportunity to live in China, Virginia, and Ohio. Traveling and connecting with people in new places continues to be one of my greatest joys.

My husband and I have three wonderful children, and motherhood has deepened my appreciation for the world in ways I never imagined. For over ten years, I’ve been studying and practicing the Montessori Method, fostering curiosity, independence, and a love of self-directed learning. One of my greatest challenges and rewards has been learning how to encourage independence in others while also guiding and collaborating with them.

I’m incredibly excited to be part of Acton, which has given our family a powerful framework for growth and learning together. I often hear Acton described as “Montessori grown up,” and I’ve loved experiencing the truth of that. Growing up, I sometimes struggled with direction and perseverance, so it’s important to me that my children have the encouragement and opportunities they need to explore, take risks, succeed, fail, and discover who they are.

What I love most about Acton is that the journey of growth isn’t just for my children, it’s for me and my family too. Acton challenges me to learn, stretch, and contribute both as an individual and as part of a family and community. I’ve gained more insight and perspective than I ever imagined, and I’m excited for the discoveries still ahead.

Jaylene Hajek

Lower Elementary Studio Guide
Acton Academy

For the past twenty years, I have sought out the best programs and opportunities to learn and serve those around me. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in 2006 and a Master of Education in Reading in 2013. Over the years, I’ve worked with children of all ages, from preschoolers to elementary students, through tutoring, teaching, and leadership roles.

My journey has taken me through many rich experiences: consulting for The Listening Program, embracing project-based learning, homeschooling my son through The Son-Rise Program for special needs, and teaching at Dancing Moose Montessori, where I fell in love with Montessori methods and materials. Each step has deepened my belief that the brain is capable of change and that children flourish in natural, nurturing environments.

In 2019, I became a foster mom to two teenage boys and a young girl, one of the most challenging and rewarding seasons of my life. During that time, I also received training in Teaching Self Government, learning firsthand how teaching correct principles empowers children to govern themselves. Most recently, I became a certified presenter in classroom management, student engagement, and motivation through the Center for Teacher Effectiveness.

I am honored to bring these experiences into my role as a Guide at Acton Academy. Here, I have the opportunity to combine my passion for learning with my desire to help every child discover their gifts, grow in independence, and chart their own meaningful path.

Jeff Sandefer

Co-Founder & Advisor
Acton Academy

Jeff Sandefer lives a dual life as an entrepreneur and a Socratic Guide. As an entrepreneur, he founded his first company at age 16 and went on to found or co-found seven successful businesses. As a Socratic teacher at the University of Texas, Jeff’s students five times voted him the school’s Outstanding Teacher and Businessweek named him one of the top Entrepreneurship professors in America.

Jeff went on to co-found the Acton School of Business, an MBA program perennially ranked by the Princeton Review among the best in the nation. In 2012 The Economist honored him as one of the top fifteen Business School professors in the world.

Jeff is a graduate of the Harvard Business School, where he served for over twenty years on the school’s governing committees. He was a longtime director of the Philanthropy Roundtable and National Review magazine and one of the youngest members ever elected to the Texas Business Hall of Fame.

Laura Sandefer

Co-Founder & Advisor
Acton Academy

Laura lived on both US coasts and in between as a child, then settled into Vanderbilt University for her undergraduate studies in the College of Arts and Science. After being awarded the highly competitive Walter Wattles Fellowship at Lloyd’s of London, Laura worked in the aviation insurance industry in New York City.

Deciding to follow her calling into the world of education, Laura returned to Nashville and earned her Master of Education at Peabody College. This led her to her work at the Oklahoma Arts Institute, creating fine arts education programs for teachers and talented high school students.

Laura married Jeff Sandefer and is the happy mother of Sam and Charlie and step-mother to Taite. It is the inspiration of these children that led Laura and Jeff to co-found Acton Academy.

Her greatest hero is her mother who was a Master Teacher. Her wisest mentor is her father who sent her off to college with two words of advice: "Be curious."