At 4 years old, Jenn was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) and underwent two years of chemotherapy and cranial radiation. Her child life specialist, Christie, helped her family understand the diagnosis and became an advocate for both Jenn and her treatment journey.

During college, Jenn studied child development, focusing on child life. It was in her first child life class that everything clicked. Her journey continued with two practicum experiences: at a grief support center and with the child life program at Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas. After earning her Bachelor’s degree from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, she moved to Minnesota to complete her clinical child life internship at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota in St. Paul.

Following a temporary role as a child life specialist at a county hospital in Minneapolis, she returned to attain her Master’s at Adler Graduate School in Bloomington, Minnesota. During her graduate internship at St. David’s Center in their Autism Day Treatment program, she discovered a second passion, leading her to work there for six years as a mental health practitioner.

Eventually, she felt drawn back to child life. This calling led her back south to Lafayette, where she worked as a child life specialist at Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s and Children’s Hospital for three years. In 2021, she took the leap to start her private practice, Red Oaks Coping LLC, which allows her to blend her love for working with children and teens on the Autism spectrum with her child life expertise.

On a personal note, she lives in the Acadiana area with her husband, Michael, their daughter, and their dog, Cooper. In her free time, she enjoys coffee, massages, reading, learning, spending time with loved ones, and music.