Jennifer and her husband relocated to Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 2006 for more affordable housing and a little patch of grass for their beloved dog to enjoy. Jennifer teaches history and political science to high school students. After a student suggested that she should run for office, she eventually decided to take up the challenge. 

Jennifer grew up on the southside of Chicago, raised by her mom with the help of her grandparents. Looking for a better life, her grandfather came to Chicago from the Jim Crow south and her grandmother emigrated from Europe. Jennifer has witnessed in her own life, as well as in theirs, the difference that government policy can make for individual choices and life chances. She earned degrees from the University of Chicago in political science. She spent time in Helsinki, Finland supported by a Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching.