Advocate Program

Molly grew up in a U.S. Navy Pilot household moving around and experiencing a wide array of school systems from inner-city public busing schools, Department of Defense schools, and private boarding schools.   Graduating with a BS in Finance from Virginia Tech, Molly went on to continue her travels living in 5 states/countries before settling in Park City in 2007 where she lives with her husband, two kids, a dog, a cat, and a rabbit.   Her children, one of whom is dyslexic attend schools in the Park City School District.   Since moving to Park City, Molly’s passion to keep learning and help her children do the same has led to forays as a ski instructor, bike mechanic, nordic ranger, soccer coach, board member of Friends of the Library, and a Certified Dyslexia Advocate.   She is passionate about sharing what she has learned with others as they navigate through the resources, accommodations, and action plans available for those with learning differences.

Emily lived overseas, in Argentina and Brazil, for the first six years of her life before her family relocated to Utah. She received a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work from BYU and soon after began working in a family mental health clinic in New York City. She had her first child while living in New York City and the other two after moving to San Francisco. In 2015 she and her family moved to Park City where she and her husband expanded their household to include dogs, chickens, ducks, and bees with occasional sheep that frequent their small farm.

Emily has two children who were diagnosed with dyslexia later in their school years and were still able to receive support through PC READS. She is grateful for the valuable information she received from this organization and is now looking forward to helping parents and students of any age as they work through reading and academic challenges.

Elissa Aten is Co-Founder and Executive Director of PC READS. She is also a Certified Dyslexia Advocate and assists families with developing action plans to ensure that their children receive the support and resources necessary to succeed in school. She and her husband have lived in Park City for 10 years and have two children, one of whom is dyslexic. Elissa is a strong proponent of public education and previously served as a Park City Education Foundation (PCEF) Board Member. Her involvement with PCEF included volunteering as Fundraising Chair for Running with Ed, a 38-mile annual relay race held in Park City. Originally from upstate New York, Elissa graduated from Dartmouth College and then spent two years teaching middle school math in Baltimore, MD with Teach for America. After teaching, she received her J.D. from Boston College Law School, practiced law in Boston and later worked as an Associate Director of Career Services at Boston College Law School. Elissa enjoys being an active Dartmouth alumna and is currently serving on her Class Executive Committee. Elissa and Elliott spend most of the winter weekends on the ski slopes, either watching their children ski race or looking for hidden powder stashes.

Courtney grew up in Mill Valley, California before her family moved to Park City in 1993. Courtney received a bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from the University of Colorado Boulder and worked on several local, state and national political campaigns. A lifelong learner, Courtney shifted her focus to education and returned to school to earn a Masters of Science in Child Development and a Masters of Science in Special Education from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. She taught preschool and special education in Boulder, Colorado and worked for the Park City School District as a reading aide while raising her family. Courtney and her husband joined her family in Park City in 2007. When not on the golf course or skiing, Courtney and her husband are busy raising 3 sons, 2 dogs, 4 cats and 1 fish. Courtney is excited to be a certified dyslexia advocate and to help families navigate their IEP and 504 journey.

Katrina Kmak is the Youth Services Librarian at the Park City Library.  She is extremely passionate about getting the youth our community to love books.  She has lived in Park City since 2012 to take a break from her decade long professional acting career and fell in love with the mountain town and working with children.

Katrina received her undergrad in Vocal Music Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and received her Master of Library Science from Emporia State University.  She is excited to become a Certified Dyslexia Advocate to help families get the tools they need for their students to succeed.  She is a true believer that every child can become a lover of books and life-long reader.