Our facilitators & speakers

October Featured Speaker

Katie Silvester, Snow College

Katie's an Academic Advisor at Snow College, where she has overseen the Arts Department’s Peer Mentor Program for the past 3 years. Her program includes 15 peer mentors who serve over 300 students in the Music, Theatre, Art, and Dance departments. Along with her advising work, Katie organizes and participates in concerts, assemblies, and peer mentor activities. Katie grew up in a small town in Southern Utah. She enjoys hiking, camping, and all things related to the fine arts. She graduated from Snow with a Bachelor of Music with an Emphasis in Commercial Music. She and her husband are a dynamic duo of musicians who enjoy exploring all genres of music.

October Featured Speaker

Ariel Olson, Weber State University

Ariel Olson serves as the Assistant Director for First Year Experience at Weber State University, which means wearing many hats—part logistics coordinator, part instructor supervisor, part peer mentor advocate, and full-time team supporter. She handles the moving parts of the FYE Program, including course scheduling, instructor training, curriculum development, and most importantly, overseeing the Peer Mentor Program, including onboarding, training, teaching, and daily communications. She also works closely with campus partners on marketing, website updates, and large-scale event planning to keep the FYE Program vibrant, organized, and focused on equipping instructors and peer leaders to seamlessly support student success. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, watching scary movies, and spending time with family, friends, and her six cats.

Co-facilitator

Tasha McNamee, MBA

  • Vice President of Operations & Customer Success at Trula, with more than a decade of experience in higher education student wellness

  • Served as Interim Director of the University Health & Counseling Center at Utah Tech University

  • Helped build and scale peer coaching across 14 Utah colleges and universities, supporting 28,000+ students through 72,000+ coaching services

  • Develops practical systems for tracking outcomes, gathering feedback, and communicating program impact to campus stakeholders

  • Works alongside colleges to integrate peer support into coursework, student services, referrals, and campus-wide support strategies

  • Brings a listen-first, collaborative approach to UPPLC, creating space for peer program leaders to share what’s working, troubleshoot challenges, and learn from one another

Co-facilitator

Beth Haggett, PhD, MSW, LCSW, NBHWC

  • Co-Founder and Chief Impact Officer at Trula, with 20+ years in mind-body medicine and well-being

  • Coached Fortune 500s, universities, and government groups

  • Earned her Ph.D. from Saybrook University, becoming the first person in the nation to earn a doctoral degree in Mind-Body Medicine. She later joined Saybrook’s faculty, teaching ethics, leadership, and the full Integrative Wellness Coaching curriculum

  • Fully credentialed as an LCSW, Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach, and ICF coach (ACC)

  • Brings a holistic, research-driven approach that ensures that leaders, peer mentors, and professionals develop the skills and resilience needed to create lasting impact

  • Leads in the Utah Peer Program Leader Consortium to boost student support and level up peer coaching