Alberto Santoyo

I am originally from Mexico City.  I came to Utah at the age of 14.  I can tell you firsthand that learning how to read and write in English can be quite the challenge, not to mention it can also be intimidating, especially when your classmates are much more advanced than you.

Now imagine that your child is starting kindergarten and he or she knows the alphabet and has begun to even read and write.  Talk about having a foot in the door! UPSTART and I can help you achieve this.

As your UPSTART coach I will help you and your child achieve the educational goals you set.  With 10 years of customer service experience, four years of technical support, and working with UPSTART since day one, I have all the tools necessary to get you there.

Ali Fairchild

I have been working with children since I can remember. I have a sister that is seven years younger, and I helped take care of her from the time she was a baby. Then I moved on to bigger fish! I began babysitting family friends’ children, and now I am a professional nanny. I love children! I would work with them all the time if I could.

Working for UPSTART has been a very fulfilling  experience in part because I have the opportunity to help children learn how to read at a young age. My love for reading is almost as strong as my love for children.

My favorite book is Pride and Prejudice. I feel reassured knowing that someday, because I helped, more children will read that classic story. I have loved working for the UPSTART program and helping further children’s education. I hope I can continue working with both the program and children for a long time to come.

Ana Velez

I grew up in the countryside and miss the quiet and space, but I have learned to appreciate the convenience of the city. I come from a large family, and have five brothers and four sisters with twice as many nieces and nephews, not including my extended family!  Their ages range from six months to 13 years.  One of my favorite things to do is to hang out with my nieces and nephews and hear all the interesting and funny things they have to say.  Growing up in a big family could be chaotic at times, but because of those moments I have learned to listen and become patient.

Watching the children in my family grow up and knowing that each one of them has so much potential if they are just given the right tools to learn, I think how wonderful it would be if they had the opportunity to participate in a program like Rusty and Rosy. I wish that I had been given that opportunity growing up, because I was so shy and I needed to feel more confident in school. Seeing my brothers and sisters with their children, I realize that parents are the greatest motivators for their children and with structure and interest in what the children are learning parents can greatly impact how and what their children will learn.

Elizabeth Estrada

I’m part of a great team. I’ll be your coach in the UPSTART program, and I will be assisting you on any issue you may encounter whether it be motivational, technical, or  a miscellaneous question or concern. We will work together to help your child be prepared to succeed and feel confident before going to kindergarten.  Using Rusty and Rosy five days a week will help your child develop better study habits for school, and what could be better than that?

I have a great family, that includes a wonderful son and husband. We enjoy fishing and the outdoors. Just recently my son caught his first two-pound fish, and he was so excited. I have started to use the program for my three year old, and he loves it. He is a little young for the program but I’m right next to him helping him navigate the computer. He really enjoys the program and has learned so much already. I love that it shows him the alphabet and numbers, which is perfect for his age.

The program will detect what level is appropriate for your child, and will act as a personal tutor. The UPSTART program provides a strong educational foundation  for my son, and look forward to sharing this wonderful opportunity with you and your child

Isaac Troyo, UPSTART Program Trainer

I am originally from Mexico City, Mexico.  I’m the youngest of five siblings. I love spending time with my family, especially with my nieces and nephews, all of whom I spoil as much as I can.

In my free time I like to work in my garden and complete various projects around my home. I speak three languages, and I love to travel to new and exotic places. I enjoy learning about different cultures and love cooking and eating new and delicious foods.  My guilty pleasure is watching the Food Network and learning about new ingredients and their individual flavor profiles to cook new dishes for my friends and family.

I look forward to meeting all the families who participate in UPSTART, as well as sharing my enthusiasm and excitement about the many wonderful learning experiences that their children will have through usingour software. I am delighted to be a part of an organization as wonderful as Waterford, and feel privileged to share its mission of delivering equity and excellence in education to the children of the world.

Karlof Lopez

I am one of the customer support coaches who will be assisting you during your participation in the UPSTART program. I have been with UPSTART since 2009, when the program started, and it has been a great experience. I have a four year old daughter; she has begun using Rusty and Rosy and has learned a lot. She can count up to one hundred, she reads children’s books, she can add and subtract up to ten, and she can write her full name.

I will be happy to help you with any questions you may have during your participation in the UPSTART program. Please, do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about  using the program, technical support questions, or if you just want to share your UPSTART experience with me, I will always be happy to assist you.

Laura Moody

I graduated with a degree in Spanish from Utah State University. I have always been a strong advocate for education and love being a part of the UPSTART program. I understand the importance of developing great study habits at a young age so children will know what to expect when they start school. .

I come from a large family, and have three brothers and two sisters. I was the only one that could get my youngest brother to do his homework, and now he’s all grown up and is an airplane mechanic. While I can’t take the credit for his success, I like to think that I helped him to realize the importance of studying hard.

If you find yourself having difficulty trying to keep your child motivated, I will be happy to help you come up with some great ideas to keep your child interested.  I have four nephews, two that are seven, one that is two, and the other a few months old. I also have two nieces, one that is four, and the other, one. I love spending time with them. Aside from being the favorite aunt, I also enjoy traveling, and spending time with my husband.

Susan Kronwall

As a mother of two and now a grandmother of two, I recognize the importance of learning to read. It is so fulfilling to be part of something that can make such a difference in a child’s life. It is so much fun to see the UPSTART children come in for their final Waterford assessment and attend their graduation. Children leave with a sense of accomplishment ready to start kindergarten with confidence.