Jennifer
has been attending Orenco Presbyterian Church since she was a child but started
serving at Orenco regularly in 2015; she first worked as a volunteer in youth
ministries and then became a pastoral assistant in the winter of 2017. She
began serving as our Youth Director in the fall of 2018.
Jennifer has always been passionate about working with children and has many years of experience mentoring and guiding youth. Jennifer
graduated from Western Oregon University with a B.S. in psychology with an emphasis
on child development and a minor in the teaching of
mathematics. Later she completed her Master of Education at George Fox
University with endorsements in Mathematics and English as a Second Language.
After finishing her education, Jennifer taught in both private and public school settings for seven years. During her teaching years, Jennifer saw a need for mentorship in
young women, so she began a group called Girls of Grace, a teen
ministry for teen girls. Due to this ministry, Jennifer discovered she
had a deep desire to lead teens towards Jesus, so in 2015 she began working
with Impact—Orenco’s Youth Group—in addition to continuing Girls of Grace.
Jennifer is married to her husband John, and
they have three kids: Joshua, Evelyn, and Quinton. In her free time, she loves
to go for long walks with her family, watch old 80’s movies, and go camping in
the great northwest.