From our amazing English teachers like Mrs. Jones and Dr. Arnold, Juan Diego has a brought a new face in for students. “Teaching has always been my passion, but I am most excited to be able to put away my suitcase and be back teaching in a classroom!” said Mrs. Ashmore, the new AP Literature, Honors Shakespeare, and American Literature teacher.

Mrs. Ashmore grew up in Georgia, right next to the Tennessee border. She attended an all girls school from grades seventh through twelfth and moved to Utah after she finished high school to attend college. After living in Draper, Utah for some time, Mrs. Ashmore claims she “fell in love with the mountains and outdoor lifestyle,” and is proud to call Utah her home. 

When the weather is nice, Mrs. Ashmore, her husband, her two daughters, and her dog will go up in the mountains for a day to hike and camp. “I am not a fan of winter especially when it snows. Despite the weather, I went skiing twice when I first moved to Utah twenty years ago and I loved it,” said Mrs. Ashmore as she hopes to find time to ski with her family again and “find enjoyment with the snow.” Being a Southern gal, Mrs. Ashmore loves to cook, especially sausage biscuits and gravy, chicken pot pie, and desserts for her family.

Mrs. Ashmore believes that her family, including her dog, is her biggest support. “My husband owns a construction company and is a general contractor. My daughters, Scarlett and Alice, attend St. John the Baptist Elementary.” Her dog is an Australian Labradoodle. “When we brought her home, we could not decide what to name her. My husband tweeted Jazz player Joe Ingles to give us name suggestions since he is from Australia. He tweeted my husband back, and he told us to name her after him. Our dog is named Joey after Joe Ingles, and she loves cheering on the Jazz.” Mrs. Ashmore and her family are also huge Jazz fans.

Before teaching at Juan Diego, she was running social media companies, and traveling the country doing public speaking for different marketing and direct sales companies. So how did she come to Juan Diego?

“I was drawn to Juan Diego after seeing the strong sense of community. My family has been a part of the SJB community for three years, and we consider this community our family,” said Mrs. Ashmore.  

At Juan Diego, Mrs. Ashmore loves sharing funny stories and favorite books with her classes . Her passion for teaching grew when she did two study abroad programs and one research semester in England. Willingly walking the same steps as her two favorite authors, she studied the lives and works of William Shakespeare and Jane Austen. “During my study abroad programs, I knew my vocation was to be teaching, and I am grateful that calling has brought me here.”

Being part of the SJB community for three years now, Ashmore says, “I am honored to be a part in a new role within our community as one of the new teachers at JDCHS.”