Â鶹ÊÓƵ

Some of Jen’s fondest and earliest memories were from road trips in their family camper van across B.C., blasting ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’ on the radio. She also vividly recalls watching her parents and their friends put ABBA records on the record player at gatherings. It seems only fitting that Jen is the mastermind and director behind the hit musical Mamma Mia, which is currently being performed at the Max Cameron Theatre by the Brooks Theatre Department. Jen explains that: “For over forty years ABBA have underscored the parties, car rides, and most recently TIKTOK’s of millions worldwide, whether we care to admit it or not they are deeply embedded into the soundtrack of our lives.”

Jen considers herself a ‘Burnaby girl.’ She graduated from Cariboo Hill Secondary in 1996 and completed an undergraduate and master's degree from Simon Fraser University.

As a high school student, she loved her photography teacher’s classroom. She describes it as a welcoming place where she could hang out with her friends and colleagues from the English and art department and talk about arts and culture and issues of the day. “It was a nice place away from the cafeteria and hallways which felt overwhelming. I knew I wanted to be a teacher then and create a similar space for students to feel like they can relax and just be themselves.”

Jen has been a teacher at Brooks for over five years. When asked about her favourite courses to teach she replied with: “Theatre all the way! When you get to teach what you are passionate about and share what you love about the subject with students it is so energizing.” 

Jen describes the most challenging part of her job is saying goodbye to our grads. If she could change one thing about Brooks: “My, hope is that we find even more reasons to connect, make art, share our stories and music together and continue a culture of kindness and acceptance.” 

An interesting fact about Jen’s teaching career is that she taught in Bristol, England from 2005-2012.

Outside of school Jen loves trail running with her dog and a good running buddy, hiking, travel and gardening. Her philosophy or motto she tries to live by is: “Life is 10 per cent of what happens to you, 90 per cent how you react.”