Dating back to her time growing up in Fruita, Colorado – on the outskirts of Grand Junction – Taylor Jensen had her eye on Texas, however, not in the career field she has enjoyed the last seven years.

“As a kid I originally wanted to be a psychologist,” Jensen said. “I was doing research on where I could go to school to be a psychologist and I landed on Baylor. Growing up Baylor is where I wanted to go and even after I changed to education Baylor is where my heart was set on. I went to Baylor and then my husband and I got married and we settled down in San Angelo, and I taught in Miles, then we moved to Brownwood to be with family.”

Jensen is preparing to begin her fourth year of teaching fifth grade math and science at East Elementary, and her eighth year of teaching overall.

“I always really enjoyed working with kids, then when I was a senior in high school my math teacher, I was working as her personal aide in one of my off periods, she asked me to get up and take over the class and I just absolutely loved it,” Jensen said of the moment she decided teaching was in her future plans.

As for teaching fifth grade math and science, Jensen said, “I wanted a little bit older kids, but not quite middle school age, and math and science has always been my passion. Ever since I was a kid those have always been my favorite subjects so it just worked out.”

Reflecting on her time in school and teachers who made an impact on her, Jensen said, “I honestly had amazing teachers the whole time. Mrs. Peterson was probably the all-time great teacher for me. That’s what made me what love this grade so much. She was witty and always accepting and made me love learning.”

Jensen said the opportunity to impact the lives of young students, “Means the world to me. I don’t teach necessarily to pass on the knowledge, it’s more about the relationships that I have and making those kids love learning.”

Jensen’s most rewarding moments include, “Having previous students come back to me and hear them tell me what a difference I made on them or having their parents reach out later on and tell me what a difference I made in their kid’s life.”

Looking ahead to her future in the profession, Jensen said she looks most forward to, “just trying new things and continuing to grow as a teacher.”

She and her husband Logan have one son, Maddox, who will be starting his first school year at East Elementary in August.