Jen received her BA at Central College located in Pella, IA in 1995 with a degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Spanish. She also holds a Master's from NW Missouri State University in K-8 Administration. She has served for 8 years in public school and the last 17 years she has taught at a private Christian school. Jen's favorite lesson is "teaching verb conjugations in a way that help students remember - whether it's puzzling out the first regular present tense verbs or having "snowball fights" with commands."

Jen and her husband, Michael, have been married for 25 years. They have two children. Megan is a senior and Jason is an eighth grader. Their family attends First Baptist Church in Waverly. Jen says that, "The best part of following Jesus is the hope and comfort we have in Him. I serve Him and bring honor and glory to Him. In turn, He promises to never leave His children and has prepared a place in heaven for us."

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family playing board games, cooking, baking, sewing, crocheting, and reading. She loves crafts and creating.