When I walked into the classroom on a Wednesday, Ms. Jennifer Cochrane was on her computer. She looked up and smiled at me.

Ms. Jen has been at Mission High since 2009. She worked with a non-profit in BayView Hunters Point in summer and afterschool programs. She started as a volunteer with the after school tutoring program here. In 2011, she was hired to work at Mission and in 2013 became a paraprofessional. This job seemed like a good fit for her. 

In the 14 years she has been here, Ms. Jen says, “The heart of the Mission and many faces have stayed the same. Some staff and students have obviously changed. After being here for so long, I feel very much part of the community and love getting to know new people that join.” 

Ms. Jen likes the sense of community and that the staff cares about the students. She likes that the students are the focus. Ms. Jen also likes that it’s “close to where I live.” 

Ms. Jen is from England. She has lived in the US for 19 years and is happy here. She has no plans to move back to England.

When asked if she would like to travel the whole world she said, “I wouldn’t like to travel the whole world, but I would like to visit more countries.” When she was younger she wanted to, but now she’s “too tired.” She likes Ireland. “Switzerland is beautiful.” Italy is probably her favorite, but of course she likes the U.S too. She still wants to travel to some places, like in Europe, South America, Africa and the Middle East. 

When Ms. Jen is not at Mission, she likes to walk. Hikes in nature are the best, but she also likes to walk around San Francisco. She also likes to read. She likes to visit her family in England and hang out with friends in the city. She likes British crime dramas and Marvel movies. 

“Ms. Jen is very kind and helpful,” said Bryant Angel, 11th grader.