Georgia Corey: Program Director and Advanced Instructor
Georgia Corey has been involved with Lift Me Up! since 1995, when she began volunteering as a sidewalker. Eventually, Georgia became more involved with the program and went on to serve as volunteer coordinator, board member, board secretary for one term, and board president for two terms. Georgia missed working with the riders, volunteers, and horses, however, and, in 2004, attended the Equest Therapeutic Riding Instructor Course where she received her certification at the Registered Instructor level. She returned in the spring of 2005 and earned her Advanced Instructor certification.
Georgia has completed many hours of post-graduate work in education and has spent a great deal of time teaching and working with children as a Sunday school and Vacation Church School teacher, Girl Scout leader, Cheer Mom, Team Mom, Room Mother and classroom volunteer. Now that her two children are grown, Georgia has directed her attention to Lift Me Up!, leading the team as Program Director.
Riding since she was six, Georgia currently owns two horses. While she primarily rides Saddleseat (one of her horses is an American Saddlebred), she has also taken lessons in Hunt Seat, Dressage and Western riding, and recently began eventing.
Veronica Laughman: Registered Instructor
Veronica first joined Lift Me Up! as an intern and has been teaching with the program since October 2005 when she received her certification as a NARHA Registered Instructor. Veronica has been a lifelong horse enthusiast who has worked with and rode horses since she was a child. She started taking hunter/jumper lessons in exchange for barn work, where she officially became a "barn rat," hanging out at the barn all day, every day, riding, grooming, mucking, and assisting with vet and farrier visits. Veronica was first exposed to therapeutic riding at the age of 13 when she volunteered at Sebastian Riding Associates in Collegeville, PA. When she moved to Northern Virginia in 1993, she continued her affinity for all things equestrian, dabbling in dressage and even polo. Finally, after receiving a bachelor's degree in Therapeutic Recreation and certification as a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, she has found time to pursue and achieve her goal to be a Therapeutic Riding Instructor. Veronica also works full time as a recreation therapist at the Northern Virginia Training Center for adults with special needs.
Becca Bryan: Registered Instructor
Becca Bryan joined Lift Me Up! as a part-time instructor in the summer of 2010. Becca became a registered instructor with PATH, International in May 2009 after receiving her undergraduate degree from Indiana University and volunteering at P.A.L.S., a PATH Premier Accredited Center in Bloomington, Indiana.
Becca is currently a Masters candidate in Art Therapy and Counseling at the George Washington University and plans to graduate in August 2012. She is also working to obtain the PATH certification of Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning.
Becca has been working with horses since she was 12, enjoying English flatwork, basic dressage, jumping, and trail rides. She has worked with horses of all shapes, sizes, and ages.�Becca greatly enjoys getting to know and working with all of the riders and horses at Lift Me Up!, whether in the ring playing games or outside on a beautiful trail ride!
