Jennie Kuenz is dedicated to ensuring the future of the planet and Jesuit.
It is 7:45 am on a Tuesday morning in Jesuit High School's Hollman Family Student Union, and Jennie Kuenz ’97 stands before 125 sleepy faculty and staff cradling their cups of coffee. She begins her presentation with a colorful slide outlining the topic of the day, “Caring for Our Common Home: An Ignatian Vision.” Over the next 30 minutes, Jennie speaks with passion about the role the audience plays in fulfilling God’s vision for the care of the Earth, our common home. By the end of her presentation, a positive energy and renewed respect for creation permeate the room.
In 2020, the Secretariat for Jesuit Education convened a global taskforce to create a framework by which Jesuit schools give meaning and direction to the Church’s mission to promote ecological justice. Jennie is one of 14 worldwide members of the taskforce.
It’s a well-earned role for Jennie. As Associate Director of Ecological Justice and Global Networking at Jesuit, she spearheads the school's efforts to become more sustainable. Under her leadership, Jesuit was designated a Green Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education in 2014. Also a physics teacher, Jennie taught Jesuit’s first AP Environmental Science class in 2004, which spurred her interest in learning more about environmental education.
She is Jesuit’s resident expert on all things green, and her mission is to educate students, faculty, and staff about their responsibility for ecological justice.
“It’s all about changing our students’ mindsets, about teaching them to be good stewards of God’s creation,” she said. Her hope is that Jesuit will graduate students “who are advocates for change” and will never forget the impact that our environment has on “those [people who live] on the margins.”
Travel greatly influenced Jennie’s outlook as a global citizen. She studied abroad in Salzburg, Austria her sophomore year of college. After graduating from University of Portland with degrees in math and German, Jennie was awarded a Fulbright scholarship in Potsdam, Germany, where she served as a language assistant. She also lived in Switzerland as an Ambassador Scholar for Rotary International and has received grants and scholarships to study in the Galápagos Islands, Japan, and Costa Rica.
Jennie first arrived at Jesuit in the fall of 1993 as a member of the first co-ed freshman class. As a student, Jennie benefited from those who had come before her. She received financial aid and remembers her summer work-study projects with Jeff Wood. Now she and her husband, Mike, have dedicated a portion of their resources to ensure the financial stability of Jesuit High School for years to come.
How is Jennie’s passion for environmental justice connected with her membership in the Fr. Hayes Legacy Club? The answer: sustainability. Both recognize the importance of leaving behind resources for the next generation. She believes that we have a responsibility not only to care for our common home but to care for those who will come after us.
“Leaving a legacy is non-negotiable,” she said.
To create your legacy, contact Diane Salzman, Vice President for Development, at 503-291-5497 or development@jesuitportland.org.