Shelly Bailey

BY HAILEY MINTON

T“The bathroom is this way. Here’s your popcorn…” All said with the warmth and kindness of a woman who cares about each child she talks to.

is Shelly Bailey. She is the owner of On My Way Preschool and Daycare. On the day I spoke with her, she was on a field trip with 95 children. This was their biggest field trip yet, but the trips themselves are not uncommon occurrences. They go out three times a week.

“We’re not just babysitters. We are here to help kids grow and be successful in life. We’re developing their little brains! We have more awake hours with these kids than some parents do, and we take that responsibility seriously.” They try to do as good of a job as any parent would. Shelly said her best teachers and employees share the same vision as her. They are consistent, take ownership, and love the kids like their own. They want their facilities to be a home away from home. They will soon be expanding to Pleasant View in August where they can care for up to 500 children. She is overstaffed at

On My Way Preschool and Daycare

Thisher locations in Roy and Clinton so she will take her seasoned teachers to get things established at their new location. Trusting another person to care for your child can be hard, but Shelly has found ways for parents to stay in the loop. They have an app that logs everything from diaper changes to what activities the child has done. The teachers can even send pictures. Shelly also has an open-door policy for the parents, they are free to drop by and see their children any time. The facility is a preschool, and they are focused on helping each child meet their developmental, academic, and social milestones. She has seen how children being with their friends and caring teachers can influence them in positive ways. Nonnappers start napping, and picky eaters start eating vegetables. It also creates a space for children to learn social skills and problem solve when toys inevitably get taken. The teachers guide them to help navigate their world in a positive way. Shelly sees some of the results of her team’s efforts when she runs into adults who used to be in her care. It always warms her heart when she hears an adult exclaim “Miss Shelly!” No doubt, she is happy to see them too.

BY ANN PARK

MMallorie Andersen is just finishing her exemplary junior year at the Utah Military Academy. She has taken full advantage of the many opportunities the school offers.

Withlower numbers in each classroom, the students have more opportunities to play sports, join clubs, and hold leadership positions. A driven young woman, Mallorie has taken full advantage. As captain of the Debate Team, and voted Student Body President for her upcoming senior year, Mallorie has big plans. She is working on building her resume. “I hope to get into the United States Military Academy at West Point, to major in cyber security and minor in nuclear engineering.”

Active in sports, Mallorie is a member of the volleyball and archery teams. She placed first for girls in the Utah State Archery competition her freshman year. “I used to hate archery,” Mallorie said, “but my parents thought it would be good for me, and I just stuck with it. Most of it is the internal discipline to perform under pressure. No matter how much you practice, if you pay too much attention to what’s going on around you, you forget everything you learned.”

Cadet Andersen will be going to boot camp this summer. “I am younger than most. I’ll be 17 when I go. It will be a hard experience, but it will strengthen my ability to work with different people of varying ages, genders, and leadership styles.”

Utah Military Academy focuses on helping students prepare for professional success and leadership roles when they complete school. “I have always wanted to be in the military,” Mallorie says, “though my school has helped me build skills that would provide a great base for any career path. Whatever I decided to do, I counted on the Utah Military Academy to help me get ready. I knew I was where I needed to be mentally, but school training helped get me where I needed to be physically. They have helped me build myself as a leader, and I’m very grateful to them for helping me discover additional opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

Mallorie sets a great example for her peers.

“I want to inspire other kids and help them understand that not everything in life is going to be easy. You’re going to have to work and deal with the stress and struggles of life, but at the end of it, you’ll come out a stronger person and achieve great things. Utah Military Academy is helping me get there.”

Looking through this year’s art contest submissions I am reminded what a beautifully diverse and talented group of people I live among, each seeing and interpreting the world in a unique way. Our annual art contest brings that reminder home to the magazine’s pages, but since we don’t have room to feature them all, I encourage you to visit the website to appreciate the talents of this year’s artists: connectionpub.com/art-contest