Jillian is a licensed Occupational Therapist. She is a 2014 graduate of Saint Vincent College (Latrobe, PA.) and received her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy from Shenandoah University. Over the past five years, Jillian has worked with individuals of all ages in a variety of settings such as acute inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient upper extremity therapy, skilled nursing, and outpatient pediatric therapy. She is passionate about helping her patients reach functional goals while utilizing hippotherapy (the use of equine movement) as one of many treatment tools. She has completed her Level 1 Treatment Principles coursework from the American Hippotherapy Association and looks forward to completing Level II in 2025. Jillian is a lifelong horsewoman. Her family has owned Briarfield Stables, the location of the Making Strides Foundation, for 30+ years. Jillian is a local 4H horse program volunteer and a lifelong member of the American Quarter Horse Association. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends as well as riding and competing with her beloved Quarter Horses.

Haley has been a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor for four years and has a degree in Equine Facilitated Therapeutics from Wilson College. She has experience working with children and adults living with various disabilities. ​Haley has a strong passion for using horsemanship skills to help make an impact on her students' lives both in and outside of lessons. Haley also enjoys competing with her three dogs in agility, riding, and spending time with her horse, Dandy, hobby farming, and learning new things!

Rachel graduated from Wilson College in 2023 with a degree in Equine Facilitated Therapeutics and Equine Studies, along with a minor in Special Education. She recently earned her certification as a therapeutic riding instructor through PATH. Rachel has been riding horses since she was 5. She also has experience working with children and adults with various disabilities. She is excited to put these two things together and make an impact on her students lives by using the horses. Outside of work, Rachel enjoys spending her time outdoors either hiking, riding her horses, spending time with her dogs, as well as enjoys hanging out with family and friends.

"Cat" has been an occupational therapist for 23 years. She has her Master's degree from West Virginia University. Cat is dedicated and passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and their families--helping to maximize independence in day-to-day life. She has years of experience in evaluating and treating a variety of neurological and developmental diagnoses. Cat is a mother of two and a grandmother of one and enjoys time with her family and friends, being creative with her artwork, going to the beach, church, and volunteering.

Kelsey is a licensed speech-language pathologist. She graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology in 2019. After graduation, she sought employment within the school setting. Kelsey also works in early intervention with children 0-3 years of age. She has experience working with various speech disorders including articulation disorders, language delays, intellectual disorders, unidentified disorders, and selective mutism. She also has experience working with autistic children and young adults. She enjoys working with children and is driven by their progress towards their speech and language goals. Outside of work, she is an animal lover who has a dog, two cats, and three ducks. She enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, biking, and kayaking.

Cassy is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist CCC-SLP. She graduated with a Masters of Science in Speech Language Pathology from Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 2019. She has experience working with developmental disorders, speech and sound disorders, fluency, language development, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). She also has experience working with the Autistic population. She currently works full time in early intervention with children ages 3-5 years old.  Helping children and their families has always and will always be a passion of hers. She grew up riding horses as a kid and is beyond excited to re-enter the equine world thanks to Jill and her amazing team at Making Strides. She looks forward to helping families by providing communication support through the use of hippotherapy. In her spare time, she enjoys being with friends and family, walking her dogs, reading, and traveling anywhere from the beach to the mountains.

Krista comes to Making Strides as a licensed social worker who has a passion for helping people through her love of horses. She grew up riding horses, and continues to enjoy outdoor life with animals. Krista started as a volunteer at Making Strides and then obtained her certifications through O.K. Corral Series and Spirit of Leadership (Experiential Learning with Horses) as an EAL (Equine Assisted Learning) facilitator. Krista facilitates our EAL programs for Social Skills, Horsemanship and Work Readiness, and helps with Camps, Workshops and our group Field Trips. Outside of work, she enjoys her 2 dogs and her horse, "Moose", who can be found in the Briarfield herd.

Dena is excited to join our team as one of our newest Equine Handlers and Caretakers. Sharing her passion for activities involving children and horses, she is eager to assume additional training and responsibilities to support the growth of our program. Her love of children began as a pediatric health care aid at The Children’s Institute. Dena later earned her master’s degree from Duquesne University and worked as a physician assistant at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. She has an American Paint Horse, Jackson, who was instrumental in the holiday horseback riding program she organized for children from Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Laurel Region. She also became a Big Sister to two young horse-loving girls who enjoy riding Jack and spending time outdoors and with animals. She is also a mom to four grown children, a dog named Dash and a bunny named Pumkin.

Rayna has certifications in Riding Instructor Role and Responsibility, Equine Conformation and Selection for Performance, and Equine Health and Disease Management from Aiken University of South Carolina. Along with working for Making Strides, she also teaches traditional horseback riding lessons at Briarfield Stables. Rayna has been riding horses since she was six. She participates in barrel racing and pole bending. Some of her accomplishments include International Barrel Racing Association (IBRA) National Finals Top 5, IBRA PA 2x Youth Champion, and National Pole Bending Association Top 3. Outside of Making Strides, Rayna enjoys horseback riding and spending time with her loved ones and dogs.

Amanda is an experienced marketing professional with a background in meeting planning and non-profits. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Hospitality Management from Pennsylvania State University. Originally from Penn Township, Amanda recently returned to the area with her family after living for a decade in northern Virginia. Her daughter is a client at Making Strides so her family sees first-hand the benefits of hippotherapy.

Sarah is the younger sister of Founder/CEO Jillian, and joined Making Strides as the Administrative Coordinator in 2024. She helps to manage scheduling, prepare for fundraisers, and keep the foundation organized and running efficiently. Sarah also grew up riding and caring for horses at Briarfield Stables. She is a 4-H alumni and a proud mother to Brooke and Beau. You may also catch her volunteering at the barn during therapy sessions and seasonal events.