Jenny's Background...
Jenny has not always been the type of girl to put herself in front of a crowd; in fact, as a girl and a young woman, she was extremely shy and quiet and avoided being in the spotlight as much as possible. Jenny did not have a good self-image and certainly dealt with low self-confidence. As she matured and progressed through graduate school, she began gaining some confidence (thanks to a variety of
people and factors) and has since blossomed into a woman set on helping others
by giving them a message of Hope...
Team Website:
While at Air Shows...
Jenny tries to spread the message of Hope by letting kids and young adults know that it's okay to feel a bit 'lost in the crowd', that everyone can go through some awkward stages in life but that it does not mean that they will forever feel that way. Jenny always viewed other people (such as air show performers and others popular in the public eye) as 'special' people who were simply born that way and figured she would never be a part of that world since she did not at all consider herself among that 'special' group. Obviously, her theory on some people being born special was wrong - WE ARE ALL BORN SPECIAL - it just takes some of us a little longer to bloom than others.
Faith & Hope...
Jenny was raised Lutheran (LCMS) and while she has been exposed to many different belief systems and other Christian religions, she still attends an LCMS church on a regular basis. Jenny joined Trinity Lutheran Church in the spring of 2008 and has learned more in the couple years she has been attending services and group gatherings there than in the first 37 years of her life combined. Trinity has certainly proven to be a haven of spiritual growth for Jenny. Service to others is what she has learned to embrace the most in her journey thus far.
Building Hope offers many other opportunities for serving God throughout Cleveland
and other urban areas. Be sure to visit their website to learn more about how you can make a difference in the lives of others through service
Education & Life in General…
Jenny attended public schools in her suburb of Cleveland and graduated in the top 10 students of her class of more than 250 students. Though she did well in high school, college proved far more difficult with complications from low self-esteem and weight gain, creating distractions from her studies. Eventually, she transferred schools and finished her Chemistry degree requirements at Kent State University. She then found a very compassionate graduate advisor who mentored her throughout her graduate program in the Geology department at Kent. Throughout grad school, Jenny’s confidence was boosted and the excess weight she had put on over the years began to come off, leaving her at a weight she had not seen since early high school – and which she has now maintained for more than 10 years.
Upon completing her Master’s degree in Geology, Jenny accepted a position at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the Biosciences Division under another great mentor. She spent four and a half years there and then returned home (Cleveland) for a few months and taught college classes at two local campuses in the fall of 2002. She then accepted a position at the University of Notre Dame working in the Environmental Molecular Science Institute (EMSI) for four years.
At the end of the funding period for EMSI, Jenny returned to Cleveland, once again, in March 2007 – and the timing could not have been better. Her father had a second hip replacement just a month or so later and took all summer to heal with very limited mobility. Jenny pushed on with her airshow endeavors and enjoyed having plenty of time at home to help her parents. In January 2008, her dad was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Jenny has thanked God many times over for bringing, and keeping, her home when He did. Jenny’s niece was born on 8-08-08 and Jenny’s dad lost his battle with cancer exactly one month later.
Though the economy has made surviving as an airshow performer very difficult financially, and the science jobs relating to her field of concentration in Cleveland are non-existent, Jenny wouldn’t trade a day that she was able to be with her father by being home in Cleveland these past few years. In order to further pursue her desire to remain in Cleveland, close to the rest of her family, Jenny is now working towards a degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography so that she can obtain a career in one of the numerous healthcare facilities in the area. She believes that by working as a professional sonographer (ultrasound tech), she’ll be able to put her science background to use and serve many other people in the process. Jenny still plans to continue with her airshow wing walking, as well, to the fullest extent possible.
Jenny's other little messages....
Jenny strongly believes that one of the most important things in life is to remember that you reap what you sow - be kind to your fellow humans and give of yourself to help others. She believes that the music group, Point of Grace, has very effectively summed this up in their song, "How You Live".
"So give to the needy and pray for the grieving
Even when you don't think that you can.
'Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man.
And make peace with God and make peace with yourself
'Cause in the end there's nobody else."
--Point of Grace
Jenny really relates to this 2009 song by Jonny Diaz... as a girl she was incredibly shy and had very low self-esteem. This song speak volumes to anyone who may have felt the same and she strongly urges everyone to share this song with any girls/young women in their life - let them know "there could never be a more beautiful you!":
"There could never be a more beautiful you.
Don’t buy the lies, disguises, and hoops they make you jump through.
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do,
So there could never be a more beautiful you "
--Jonny Diaz
Building Hope in the City
Jenny became involved with projects guided by Building Hope in the City (BHITC) through her amazing and compassionate parents, Mary & Dave Forsythe. They were Cleveland Public School teachers their entire careers and upon both of them retiring, helped begin an inner-city tutoring program through BHITC and Trinity Lutheran Church about 8 years ago. The program has grown to include tutoring centers at a variety of other churches in the Greater Cleveland area, all of which provide tutoring once a week at no charge to any student, kindergarten through adults seeking a GED. All tutors involved are volunteers.
Since moving back to Cleveland in March of 2007, Jenny has become more involved with this tutoring program. She now (2009/2010) participates each Thursday evening and tutors a student from one of Cleveland’s specialty science high schools. Jenny’s inspiration definitely comes from having watched her (now deceased) father as he shared his love with students from urban environments throughout his career and beyond.
Christmas 2009 party at Trinity Tutoring - Jenny with three of the high school students in the program.
