Lead Team

Emmett Rock

Executive Director/Lead Mentor
Emmett is from Southern California but has claimed Utah as his home for the past six years. He graduated with a BS of Psychology from BYU and plans to attend graduate school to become a licensed clinical social worker. He has worked with youth in various settings for the past four years, because his biggest life goal is to connect with youth to help them improve their lives. He has been happily married for two and a half years to the most beautiful person on the planet, Halley.

Mickaela Aliifua

Lead Mentor
Ya’at’eeh (Hello). Mickaela is a Navajo woman from Mapleton, Utah. She is currently a senior at Utah Valley University majoring in sociology. She owns a small indigenous business where she creates custom beaded pet collars for all pets! She loves sharing her culture through song, dance, and the arts. Mickaela is working with Teens Act because she loves being a mentor to students and she wants to give back to her community.

Kim Aranas

Social Media Manager
Kim was born in the Philippines and then moved to Italy when she was two. In 2021, she moved to Utah to major in business management at Ensign College. She hopes to work with small businesses in the future and help them grow. She is volunteering with Teens Act because she likes the mission and vision of the organization. In her free time, Kim likes to spend time outdoors and cook.

Jane Gustafson

Grant Writer/Mentor
Jane is from Klamath Falls, Oregon but moved around a few times when she was a child living in places like Orem, Ohio, and Missouri. She has been living in Utah for the past 5 years studying psychology at BYU. She recently got married and has been loving the opportunity to do cross country road trips since her husband is from Washington DC. She plans on attending a graduate program that will allow her to do School Counseling. She is excited to volunteer with Teens Act to help improve the lives of local high school students!

Penny Daurio

Mentor
Penny is from Thousand Oaks, California. She’s currently studying psychology, Spanish, and family life at BYU and plans to graduate in April. After she graduates, she wants to go to graduate school to become a licensed marriage and family therapist. Penny has been with Teens Act for a few months now, and has loved every second of it! She especially loves connecting with the students so that they feel important and supported. In her free time, she loves doing yoga, watching movies, exercising, and hanging out with friends. She has hopes of opening her own yoga studio in the future!

Kai Abo

Mentor
Kai is from American Fork, Utah and is a junior studying exercise science and psychology at BYU. Kai understands that everyone has high potentials and he wants to help people reach their potential in their physical lives. He loves helping people get back to their best and be able to do what they love which is why he is working towards becoming a physical therapist and hopes to open his own practice one day. Kai is volunteering with Teens Act because he wants to gain exposure to what it’s like to help kids through life. In his free time, Kai loves to play pickleball and soccer.

Grace Baker

Mentor
Grace is majoring in applied and computational mathematics at Brigham Young University. She loves to read and is reading anywhere from one to five books at any given time! She loves to do anything outside: skiing, running, climbing, walking, dog petting, etc. she loves it all. She’s very social and can't go too long without seeing and interacting with people...without human interaction she gets grumpy. She loves her life and her family, and feels responsible to make the world a better place than she found it. She is volunteering with Teens Act because she feels passionate about helping the kids who need it the most.

Lincoln Sutherland

Mentor
Lincoln is from San Diego, California and comes from a family of 7 kids. He’s currently studying Neuroscience at BYU and is hoping to go to medical school in 2024. He’s always been a very active person, and over the years, he has learned how to scuba dive and surf. He has a goal to go cage diving with sharks! He really enjoys learning, and wants to help others feel the same way about education. He has been with Teens Act for a few semesters and has had a great experience, so he is excited to continue to individually help the students.

Hunter Croxall

Mentor
Hunter grew up in Carson City, Nevada and is currently studying statistics at BYU. He has a passion for mathematics and history and hopes to engage in politics through his studies in statistics. He loves teaching and helping young people learn about the world, but he especially loves teaching math. He is volunteering for Teens Act because he knows it’s a good thing to do and he wants to help students improve their lives. In his free time, Hunter enjoys hiking.

Eli Griffin

Mentor
Eli grew up in Utah County spending time in both Provo and Lindon. He is currently studying biochemistry at BYU and plans on attending medical school after graduating. He is married to his wonderful wife Jane and in his free time, Eli loves to play basketball, tennis and go hiking. Eli is volunteering with Teens Act because he feels like he has been given advantages in life and wants to give back to those that have not had as many advantages as him.

Tara Frost

Assistant Director/Lead Mentor
Tara Frost is from Dallas, Texas. She is a senior majoring in psychology and minoring in business at BYU. She is planning on getting a masters in social work in order to become a licensed social worker, specifically hoping to work in schools. In her free time she likes to rock climb and spend time outdoors (when it's warm).

Alli Barker

Home Support Coordinator/Mentor
Alli Barker is from Pleasant Grove, Utah. She is a senior studying human development at BYU. After graduation, she is planning on becoming a therapist/counselor. She is very passionate about music and is a performing singer/songwriter. She also loves theater, tennis, and skiing. She loves the mission of Teens Act and is volunteering because she wants to work with youth in the future. She is excited to become a friend and mentor for the students!

Tyler Peterson

Student Experience Designer/Mentor
Tyler was born and raised in the Logan, Utah area. His time growing up was filled with soccer, gaming with his brother, and lots of family bonding. Tyler has chosen to work toward becoming a school counselor not only because he wants to help students succeed, but also because he has become intimately familiar with the feelings that come with struggling in school. He wants to share hope and confidence with any student struggling with self-esteem, mental illness, belonging, and anything else. He is so glad that Teens Act gives him a chance to do so now.

Elena Brown

Mentor
Elena is from San Antonio, Texas and is the oldest of 6 kids. She loves doing things outdoors and played soccer growing up. She is currently studying psychology at BYU and after graduating, Elena hopes to either go to law school or get a masters degree in social work. She is volunteering for Teens Act because she is passionate about doing something purposeful with her life and learning how to better connect with people.

Aidan Quigley

Mentor
Aidan is from Orem, Utah, and is the fourth of a huge, awesome family of seven kids. He loves all things music and the outdoors, and his all time favorite thing is to make music with his siblings. He is an economics major at BYU, minoring in business strategy and social impact. Aidan is passionate about relationships, education, philosophy, and helping others live life to the fullest! He hopes to get an MBA and work in the social impact field, particularly in the education sector. Being aware of the unfairness that students face inspires Aidan to volunteer. It feels incredibly important and makes him so happy.

Brylie Adams

Mentor
Brylie was born in Payson, Utah and moved around a lot as a kid, but was mostly raised in Idaho. This is her fourth year in the psychology program at BYU. She plans to get her masters degree in social work and become a therapist that works with adolescents. Currently, she works at an eating disorder treatment center as a behavioral technician. When she’s not working, she enjoys fitness activities and being outdoors. She is volunteering with Teens Act because she wants to make a difference and create change.

Marijke Wyall

Mentor
Marijke Wyall is currently a student at Utah Valley University and is majoring in family science. She has a passion for helping individuals find their full potential and wants to pursue a career that helps disadvantaged groups have equal opportunities. Marijke got married to her husband in 2020 and they have two mini Australian Shepherds. They share a passion for National Parks and have a goal to visit each one. She is volunteering for Teens Act because she loves what they are doing. She also loves to read in her free time and is a huge foodie!

Spencer Davis

Mentor
Spencer grew up in central Arizona and spent some time in West Africa where he served a mission for his church. He is currently studying microbiology at BYU because he loves science and math. Spencer is planning on attending medical school after graduating. Spencer is volunteering for Teens Act because he wants to make a difference in kid’s lives. In his free time, Spencer loves playing volleyball!

Lindsay North

Mentor
Lindsay spent the first 18 years of her life in San Francisco until she moved out to Utah to attend BYU. She is currently studying accounting and hoping to pursue a career in supply chain within the fashion industry. She loves getting to visit home and spend time with her parents and two siblings, but she loves the life she has here in Provo. Lindsay volunteers with Teens Act because she loves helping the kids out and seeing them make improvements. When she is not busy with school you can find her hanging out with friends, rock climbing, or attending hot yoga classes.

Jenny Charters

Mentor
Jenny is from Chandler, Arizona and is the youngest of four kids. She is a junior at BYU studying economics. In her free time she enjoys swimming, playing board games, and spending time with her family. A fun fact about her is that she speaks Spanish and loves Almond Joys. She is volunteering with Teens Act in hopes of learning how to become an effective teacher and build bonds with the students.