Jen Klaas joins the St. Ambrose Academy faculty as an Art teacher, bringing a love of beauty, creativity, and the Catholic faith to the classroom. Originally from Minneapolis, Jen earned a bachelor’s degree in French from the University of Minnesota. She and her husband, Scott, spent many years moving around the country during his Army career, living in Colorado, Georgia, New York, and Kansas before settling in Wisconsin in 2019.

Jen and Scott have four children currently attending St. Ambrose, along with two younger children. As a convert to Catholicism, Jen has a particular love for learning about the faith and hearing conversion stories. She participates in weekly Bible study at St. John’s in Spring Green and is helping with OCIA this year.

Outside of school, she enjoys horseback riding, learning more about the Catholic faith, traveling, making sourdough (which she, like many, began to make during the pandemic), and tending to the family’s pony, pig, chicken, ducks, and cow on the family’s homestead.

Jen has a passion for art, particularly the works of Michelangelo and Caravaggio. She hopes to inspire her students to recognize the importance of true beauty and its role in the life of the Church. Through art, she wants students to develop their skills, discover their creative potential, and see how they can help make the world a more beautiful and holy place. Jen first heard about St. Ambrose when her son Jackson was in second grade and was immediately fascinated by the school’s mission and what its students were learning. She is grateful that her children now have the opportunity to attend and is excited to contribute to the community as a teacher.

Welcome, Jen!