Jen Perry grew up in Anaheim before going to college at UCLA. She always wanted to be in education, and focused on developmental disabilities from early in her time at UCLA, participating in research programs with the regional center system and leading the student-run Special Olympics program on campus. After college, she went to the Mississippi Delta with Teach for America, where she taught 2nd and 3rd graders in Arkansas for two years. She moved back to San Diego with her husband and taught 6th grade math at KIPP Adelante. When life took her to the Bay Area in 2012, she joined KIPP Heartwood as an education specialist. She was a content specialist for a year before becoming an AP at Heartwood four years ago. She currently serves as the interim school leader at Heartwood.

Outside of KIPP, Jen loves reading for fun, especially historical fiction; baking cookies; hiking through the National Parks with her husband and 3 kids; and running trails in the Santa Cruz mountains with her dog.