Meet our Team!

Shea is originally from Baton Rouge, LA and has lived in Birmingham since 2015. Shea earned an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology from Louisiana State University and then went on to receive a Master of Occupational Therapy degree from LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. Shea received the Outstanding Student Award in her graduating class for her passion for the field of OT, excellence in academics, and work ethic. Shea completed her pediatric level II fieldwork at Children’s of Alabama, in their outpatient clinic, and then worked in outpatient pediatric clinics in Texas and Birmingham before opening BOOST Kids in the spring of 2018.

Shea has certifications in Integrated Listening Systems, Safe & Sound Protocol, Handwriting Without Tears, and children’s yoga from the international Kidding Around Yoga program. In addition, Shea has completed the STAR Institute Level 1 Mentorship in Sensory Processing. 

Shea is passionate about caregiver education throughout the occupational therapy process and loves watching parents co-regulate and connect with their children. Shea has 3 young children, as well, Acton, Juliet and George!

Emily is originally from Pascagoula, MS and moved to Birmingham in August of 2020. Emily earned an undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Mississippi and then went on to receive a Masters in Speech-language Pathology from the University of South Alabama. She completed her Clinical Fellowship as a Speech-language Pathologist in the Birmingham City School District with The Stepping Stones Group, LLC , where she continued to work until June 2022. Emily joined BOOST Kids as the Lead SLP in summer of 2022.

Emily has always known she wanted to work with pediatrics and is passionate about helping children communicate and believes the best way to achieve this is through play and making them feel like they are being understood. Emily is excited to be a part of the BOOST Kids team and share her passion with her clients and their families. When not at work, Emily enjoys reading, watching movies, traveling, being active and spending time with her family and friends.

Sydney is originally from Montgomery, Alabama and moved to Birmingham in 2015, with her now husband, Kevin Holmgren. She earned an undergraduate degree in Rehabilitation and Disability Studies from Auburn University, and then went on to receive a Master of

Occupational Therapy degree from Alabama State University Health Sciences Center where she served as a Student Representative. She completed her Level II Fieldworks in the areas of Acute Care and Inpatient Rehabilitation.

Sydney began her career as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham. During her time at Children’s of Alabama, she completed various specialty competencies allowing her to serve children in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric

Intensive Care Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, and Behavioral Health Unit. She served on the Early Mobility Team, Transplant Team, and Staff Council. She provided education on the role of Occupational Therapy to hospital staff, including

Nurses and Physicians, to expand the knowledge of Occupational Therapy’s impact during hospitalization.

Sydney is passionate about progressing developmental skills, implementing neuro re-education, increasing independence in daily activities, and overall improving the quality of life of children.

Sydney and her husband, Kevin, have 3 young children. Sydney enjoys being in the outdoors, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.

Elizabeth is originally from Fairhope, Alabama and moved to Birmingham in May of 2024. Elizabeth received her undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders from Auburn University and received her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from The University of South Alabama. She completed her Clinical Fellowship as a Speech-Language Pathologist in the Baldwin County School District at Spanish Fort Elementary, Middle, and High schools, where she continued to work until May 2024. Elizabeth joined BOOST Kids in the summer of 2024. Elizabeth is passionate about working with children and helping them gain communication skills and confidence as well as working with their families to improve overall daily life. When not at work, Elizabeth enjoys cooking, going on walks around her neighborhood, and spending time with her friends and family.

Emily joined BOOST Kids in August 2023 to expand our after school hours to help more clients receive services in the afternoon! She has been working full time as a school-based OT in the Hoover City school system going on 5 years and has worked with all ages of children, ranging from pre school to high school. Prior to pediatrics, Emily worked in the inpatient and acute care hospital settings to build her foundation as an OT, but her passion for pediatrics was always there. From an early age, Emily has had a heart for kids and is so excited to join our team here at BOOST Kids! Emily is excited to see all of your child’s abilities and have the privilege to help them reach new possibilities! 

When she is not working or coaching the tennis team, Emily enjoys baking, hanging with friends, or traveling down south to visit her family. She has a 6 year old dog named Grover and is a proud aunt to a niece and nephews that give her lots of after hours OT work!

Elizabeth joined the BOOST Kids team in January 2023 as our first office administrator. Elizabeth is originally from Florence, Alabama and moved to Birmingham in 2021, with her now husband, Sean. They have two sons, Oliver and Tate. She earned an undergraduate degree in Business Administration, General Management, from the University of North Alabama. She has a passion for organization and efficiency. With several years of experience in office management, she is dedicated to ensuring that everything runs smoothly for each and every patient whether it be with their insurance, their schedule, or just in general. Elizabeth is excited to be a part of the BOOST Kids team and looks forward to meeting all of the new patients and families! When not at work, Elizabeth loves spending time with her family and friends, being a mom, and traveling!