In The Classroom B. A . from Gon zaga U n iversi t y Played basketba l l at Gon zaga U n iversi t y for four years Grew u p on a 1,500 -acre fa r m i n Colfax , Washington Loves Mexica n food Favor i te movie: S ecreta r iat Favor i te hob bies: read i ng a nd fa m i ly ti me DEC A Advisor si nce 2017
Kerri Jensen
Taking Care of Business Who inspired you to teach? My mom was a middle school teacher for 36 years and she was a legend. It was inspiring to see her teach her students and then to see them come back to share their great accomplishments and appreciation for what she taught them. I loved going to school where she worked and seeing her in the hallways and it made me proud to feel like I was part of a larger community.
Why did you transition from corporate work to teaching? At an early age, it was my goal to become a CEO for a medium to large company. I was on track and climbing that corporate ladder when I met my husband. He had a strong sense of family and a courageous faith. I admire that so much in him and
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when we were blessed with our first of three children, I knew that my goals and priorities had changed. I have always been thankful for the 15 years of experience with Procter and Gamble, and I have never regretted my decision to leave that company to be home with my family. It was not always easy as we had to sacrifice some things, but our kids didn’t notice. The relationship I have with my children now is directly connected to the time we had together as a family as they were growing up.
What is your favorite part of teaching? Students are the best part of teaching. They are an amazing collection of diverse individuals trying to navigate so many things at once. As their teacher, I see them handle so many emotions and
expectations, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. But I appreciate that they try. Also, as a side note, they are so funny! I think I laugh out loud every day because these students have great senses of humor and they really are funny!
Does what you teach in business and marketing change year to year depending on trends or emerging sectors? Accounting is a class I like to teach more and more because it is consistent and unchanging. Marketing is the opposite. It is changing so much with the digital and online opportunities today. It really started with the smartphone. While the fundamentals remain similar, the delivery and the content are ever-changing. I do enjoy teaching marketing, but the change is constant.
