Fitness Class Instructor Bios
TERI BLADEN
Teri has a Master's degree in Kinesiology from Indiana University and is the Director of Campus Recreation at Weber State University. She is an ACSM Certified Group Exercise InstructorSM and an American Council on Exercise-certified personal trainer. Teri has a soft spot for "newbies" and loves helping people ease into a healthy and active lifestyle with a "Make it Fun!" attitude.
KAYLIE DRIVER
Yoga found Kaylie when she was a teenager when she was going through a really dark place in her life and it's been an amazing tool for her ever since. Yoga helps her connect with God, with herself and with others and she loves using it to serve in the community. She loves the healing power that comes through movement and the energy flow that Yoga has to offer. Yoga helps you remember to BE YOU!! She teaches a wide variety of styles including Vinyasa, Yin, meditation, and others!
CLAUDETTE HALVERSON
Claudette has been teaching Yoga for WSU, at both Ogden and Davis Campuses, since 2005. She has completed 200 Hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), 500 Hour E-RYT, and is currently 1,000 Hour RYT certified, she’s also a registered Yoga Alliance Educator for their Teacher Training Program. When you attend her classes she wants you to feel strong, capable, and successful.
THOMAS KEPLER
Thomas Kepler was born and raised in Utah and has been a resident of Ogden since 2022. He has a Golden Retriever named Karuna and you can often find him playing guitar or video games in his spare time. He's a 100HR Certified Meditation Teacher (CMT) and graduate of the 200HR Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) at Divine Yoga Studio in Fruit Heights. Having been a student himself at WSU, he understands just how hard college life can be and how important it is to set aside time for yourself to rest and recharge. In his classes, Thomas aims to provide a space for all who attend to experience deep rest and relaxation through Yoga Nidra, a practice that blends key principles of yogic philosophy with elements of mindful meditation. He's grateful to be able to share this unique practice with you and looks forward to seeing you in class!
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LORI HARLIN
Lori Harlin has been a Certified Group Fitness Instructor for over 25 years, “Teaching is not a job for me, it’s a fun way to get to work out and interact with a great group of people, I love my students and the positive energy they bring to class”. She’s taught a variety of classes, for a broad range of participants, including teaching in Okinawa, Japan. She teaches Boot Camp, Circuit, Cycle, Step, and Strength & Cardio. She believes there is never a bad day at the gym, working out is not just looking good on the outside, it's feeling great on the inside. Don’t miss out on opportunities to be the best you, ‘It is not what you are that holds you back, it is what you think you are not’…
NICOLE MILLER
After the birth of her 2nd child, Nicole was looking for a way to get healthy and fit and started doing Zumba workouts at home. She then started up an exercise class with a group of friends, which lead her to find a passion for Zumba and she got certified. Nicole has been teaching for a little over 2 years and has loved every second of it. She truly believes in helping all people feel welcome to work out and have fun in a judgment-free environment. When she's not teaching Zumba, she is filling orders for her Etsy shop, reading books, traveling, and spending time with her husband and kids.
SYLVIA NEWMAN
Sylvia's yoga journey began right here at WSU with amazing teachers in the Wellness Program and Campus Recreation. From there, she completed her 200-RYT at the YogaLoft at the Front in Ogden. She now teaches at a local studio and subs for the Wellness Program and Campus Recreation. Her day job is teaching writing and literature in the WSU English department, but teaching yoga is perhaps her very favorite thing to do. Yoga is the ultimate "whole person" activity, and bringing others to the yoga path is her greatest joy.
DESIREE WOODFIELD
I'm inspired by movement and the positive changes it brings to physical and mental well-being. As a trained dancer, I bring a dynamic approach to my power yoga classes, focusing on strength and mobility. My philosophy centers on empowering students to reach their personal best while fostering resilience.
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McKayla Thomas
Hi, I’m McKayla Thomas! I’m an ACE-certified Group Exercise Instructor, an ACSM-certified Personal Trainer, and the Fitness Coordinator for WSU. My passion lies in creating an inclusive and empowering fitness environment where participants can explore and develop their unique strengths.
In my classes, you’ll find a dynamic mix of creativity, motivation, and expertise, tailored to challenge all fitness levels. Whether we’re working on strength training, core conditioning, or flexibility, I aim to help each participant leave class feeling stronger, more confident, and one step closer to their goals.
Let’s find your strength together!
Rachel Anderson
Rachel Anderson is a Certified Group Fitness Instructor who began teaching in 2025 and brings her love of dance, movement, and fitness to every class! She teaches Cardio Dance, Strength, and Dance Fit—a high-energy mix of cardio dance, beat-based strength training, and traditional strength training. After dancing for 15 years, she found her way back to dance through group fitness and discovered a way to make movement fun for everyone.
With a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science and currently pursuing her Master’s in Athletic Training, she loves combining her passion for movement with her knowledge of the body and athletic performance. Her goal is to help you step outside your comfort zone, get energized, feel good, and have a great time—whether you’re a dancer or convinced you have two left feet! You don’t have to be perfect—you just have to be willing to try, move, and enjoy the experience.
Cheryl Cordell
I'm excited to enter my first year as a fitness instructor and hope to combine music, dance, and exercise. I've always liked the idea of dance as a form of exercise and the sense of community that comes with not being alone despite your skill level. In my classes you can expect an uplifting atmosphere and music from around the globe while being accessible to all fitness levels. I strive to ensure everyone can feel their most confident self while getting stronger in their fitness goals and most importantly, having fun while doing so!
Sky Beesley
I started doing yoga alongside my parents from the time I could walk, so it has been a part of my life forever. But when I became badly injured from running track in high school, I relied heavily on yoga to keep my body moving while healing. I decided to take my practice a step further and start my yoga teacher training during my senior year of high school. I've been teaching on and off for two years now and specialize in Yin yoga. I enjoy teaching yin because I can help and encourage students to slow down and take a moment of stillness and peace in our busy world. My teaching style is gentle and relaxing. I ensure to give many modifications and options with props to help all students feel comfortable and benefit from each pose. I often speak about aspects of yoga philosophy in my classes that I learned from my training and continue to learn about on my own time.
Outside of yoga, I enjoy being outside as much as possible. I snowboard almost every day in the winter, and during the summer I enjoy wakeboarding, hiking, and camping. I also enjoy going to the gym, reading, watching Avatar: The Last Airbender (despite how many times I watch it all the way through), and hanging out with friends and family.
RACHEL WINDLEY
Rachel has been doing Zumba since 2015 and strongly believes that you can party your way into getting healthy. She is a junior at Weber State University, Majoring in Elementary Education. Rachel was unable to walk for some of her life, and since then has dedicated her life to enjoying a functional body and doing something good for your body every day. She has been dancing since 2012, and in that time, has learned modern, hip hop, tap, jazz, ballet, theatrical theater, ballroom, and Latina dancing. When not doing Zumba Rachel enjoys spending time with her dog Blackie in the wonders of nature.
