Jen was born in Queens, New York, and raised in Valley Stream, New York, a town that is a stone's throw from Queens but, interestingly, has neither a valley nor a stream. (It does have many delis and pizza joints.)

Jen was a scrawny child for whom kickball was a daily gym class torment. Some athletic ability was lurking under the surface, however, because by age 14, she had become a champion baton twirler. Her life centered around practices and competitions for seven years, nearly landing her beleaguered parents in the poorhouse (lessons, costumes, entry fees). Jen also played the flute from age seven, something she still enjoys doing.