Clinic Director

Kaari received her Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Mary. She is passionate about helping children reach their goals and their highest level of functional mobility through a family-centered approach. Kaari strives to make therapy a fun, rewarding experience for the children and families she treats and has experience working with patients of all ages with orthopedic, neurologic, and genetic disorders. She has advanced training in treating torticollis and plagiocephaly as well as experience providing physical therapy services to infants in the NICU. Kaari’s professional interests include working with neuromuscular and genetic disorders, orthopedic conditions, and generalized gross motor delays. Kaari enjoys the lake in the summer, traveling, and spending quality time with her family, friends, and her dogs.

Physical Therapist

Hayley received her Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Mary. She is devoted to helping children and their families achieve their goals of improving strength, functional mobility, and increasing independence in a fun and engaging way. Hayley has experience working with patients of all ages with orthopedic, neurologic, and genetic disorders. She has advanced training in treating infants with atypical development. Hayley’s professional interests include gross motor development, genetic disorders, neuromuscular conditions, and orthopedic issues. In her spare time, Hayley enjoys horseback riding, cross-country skiing, cross-stitching, and of course spending time with family and friends.

Originally from New York, Nichole earned her Bachelor of Science in Clinical Kinesiology from Louisiana Tech University, where she competed as a Division I collegiate bowler. She later completed her Associate of Applied Science at Bossier Parish Community College to become a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant. With over a decade of experience in physical therapy, Nichole has worked in orthopedic outpatient clinics, hospitals, rehab centers, pediatric clinics, and long-term care. She is passionate about building strong connections with her patients and helping them return to the activities they love. Nichole now calls Minot home while her husband serves in the United States Air Force at Minot AFB. Outside of work, she enjoys sports, crafting, camping, hiking, and spending time with her husband and two children.

Occupational Therapist

Krystal received her Master’s in Occupational Therapy from the University of North Dakota. She is passionate about working with children to make therapy a fun and rewarding experience. She has advanced training in handwriting, aquatic therapy, sensory integration, and self-regulation. She manages picky eating and problem feeders through the SOS Approach to Feeding and offers early intervention for autism spectrum disorders with play-based treatment through the Early Start Denver Model. Krystal is also the Executive Director of Prairie Grit Adaptive Sports, which provides accessible sports opportunities for youth and adults living with disabilities. Krystal enjoys paddleboarding, reading, skiing, and watching her kids play sports in her free time.

Occupational Therapist

Karlie received her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of North Dakota. She is passionate about helping children participate in their meaningful daily activities through fun and engaging therapy. Karlie strives to provide a family-centered approach in addition to education to assist children in reaching their highest potential. Her professional interests include self-care training, sensory integration, self-regulation, and fine motor development. In her free time, Karlie enjoy calming walks with her dog, golfing, and heading to the lake during the summer months.

Originally from Rochester, MN, Lauren obtained a Master of Occupational Therapy degree from the University of North Dakota in 2016. Lauren has gained experience through opportunities working in early intervention, daycares, pediatric clinics, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and mental health facilities. During one of her first practicum experiences, she worked at an autism social skills camp, where she found her passion for working with the pediatric population. Her areas of interest include feeding disorders, executive functioning, self-care tasks, emotional regulation, and sensory integration. Lauren is a Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Feeding Approach trained therapist, who enjoys helping children explore foods. She is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), the North Dakota Occupational Therapy Association (NDOTA), and the National Occupational Therapy Honor Society Pi Theta Epsilon. Lauren enjoys crocheting, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.

Cassidy received her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Minnesota State University Moorhead. Cassidy is passionate about helping children achieve their goals and has had a lot of experience working with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Her professional interests include augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), gestalt language processing, and phonological disorders. When not at the clinic Cassidy enjoys crocheting, gardening, playing with her niece and nephew, going to the lake, and tidying her home.

Jorie earned her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Minot State University, where she developed a strong foundation working with children through hands-on clinical experience. She’s passionate about empowering individuals of all communication abilities and is excited to begin her professional career at Prairie Grit. Jorie is especially motivated by helping kids reach their goals through engaging, play-based therapy sessions. In her free time, she enjoys walking her dogs, reading, relaxing at the lake, and spending time with friends and family.

Ava received her undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Colorado and completed her Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology at Minot State University in 2016. Over the past eight years, she has worked in both pediatric outpatient clinics and school settings, supporting children with a wide range of developmental delays and communication needs. Her areas of special interest include early language intervention, autism spectrum disorders, fluency strategies for stuttering, and functional communication through AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication). Ava is thrilled to join the Prairie Grit team and provide fun, impactful therapy to help children grow and thrive. When she’s not in the clinic, Ava enjoys reading outdoors, working on home projects, and spending time with her husband, two kids, and their dog.

Education Coordinator

Averi is a 2024 Graduate from Minot State University in Elementary and Special Education and a 2020 graduate from Minot High School. During high school, she was active in golf, basketball, hockey, and fastpitch. Averi was the 2020 Prairie Grit Adaptive Sports Volunteer of the Year for her countless hours spent enthusiastically helping our program grow and making PG events and activities fun and motivating for participants. Averi also serves as Prairie Grit Adaptive Sport's assistant sled hockey coach. "My favorite part about being involved with Prairie Grit is seeing people succeed in things they didn't think they could do."

Office Therapy Assistant/ Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant

Kara received her Occupational Therapy Assistant degree from the North Dakota State College of Science in 2000 and has spent the past twenty-four years working in a variety of therapy settings throughout north western Minnesota, eastern and central North Dakota. Settings included hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, acute rehabilitation, schools, and home health. She has experience working with patients of all ages with orthopedic, neurological and genetic disorders. Kara is also a Certified Lymphedema Therapist since 2008.

Kara strives to make therapy sessions fun and engaging while focusing on patient and family centered goals. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. Camping with family and friends, traveling, painting, and gardening.

Medical Receptionist

Debbie has experience and has greatly enjoyed working with the pediatric population. Debbie also worked in a prosecuting attorney’s office for 10 years for the state of North Dakota. She was the first female County Commissioner for Burke County. She continues to be a City Auditor for a small town in northwest North Dakota. Debbie has 5 children: 2 daughters, 1 bonus daughter, 1 son, and 1 bonus son. She spends her free time with her boyfriend going to auctions and riding their Harleys.

Marketing Director

Derek Hackett is an accomplished communicator with a dynamic blend of creativity, strategic insight, and a touch of humor. With a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting and concentrations in Graphic Design, Communication, and Political Science from Minot State University, Derek brings a wealth of experience to his role as the Marketing Director.

Derek's journey is marked by significant achievements, including a seven-year tenure as the Public Information Officer for the City of Minot, where his unique ability to infuse wit and humor into communications left a lasting impact. His exceptional storytelling skills were further recognized with an Emmy Award during his time as an anchor and reporter at KX News, the local CBS affiliate.

As a specialist in crafting simple and engaging communication strategies, Derek is adept at harnessing digital platforms to amplify an organization's message.