Jen grew up in Slater and attended Ballard West and Ballard Jr/Sr High.  After high school, she attended Simpson College in Indianola.  While there, Jen played tennis in addition to getting a degree in English and Secondary Education.  Jen started teaching at Ballard in 2007 as a 7th grade English teacher while also serving as junior high softball coach and assistant women's tennis coach.  In August of 2011, she moved into the position of district library media specialist, and she completed her master's in school library media studies from the University of Northern Iowa in May of 2013. The 2014 tennis season was Jen's first year as a head coach for the Ballard women's tennis team.  Jen's husband, Anders Dovre, teaches high school English at Ballard.  They have two daughters.