Originally published on November 14, 2023.
Armed with a passion for helping people, Lisa Jensen (’88) is overcoming the obstacles of a childhood in foster care by devoting herself to uplifting others.
“I spent seven years in the foster care system,” she says. “It was a hard childhood full of disappointments and many challenges. I vowed to overcome my obstacles and make something meaningful happen in my life. I chose a career in nonprofits because I wanted to make a difference in people's lives.”
Lisa was able to make this meaningful difference for 21 years, first as the retail store manager for the Boy Scouts of America, and later as a professional scouter over Iron County, Utah, and Lincoln County, Nevada. Now, she continues to impact people’s lives through non-profits as the program manager at the Women’s Business Center of Utah. WBC Utah is a non-profit organization that offers training, courses, and consultations to help female entrepreneurs in all 29 counties in Utah grow their businesses.
“I like to say I stumbled into the nonprofit world, but now I can't imagine having done anything else. I absolutely loved the Scouting program, and now I get to spend every day helping women business owners succeed and thrive in their businesses,” she says.
While earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at SUU, Lisa learned that she could achieve her dreams through resiliency and hard work.
“I always dreamed of going to college, but when I was put in foster care I was afraid those dreams were shattered. Coming to live in Cedar City and having a college in the same town was the fulfillment of my lifelong dream.” Lisa says, “I learned that my past didn't define who I was; it only helped to make me tougher, stronger, and more determined to achieve success in life.”
Now, Lisa gives back to her community, not only through her non-profit work, but also as a member of the Mentor Liaison Committee for the Cedar City Business & Innovation Center.
The SUU Iron Leaders Academy graduate lives in Cedar City with her husband, U.S. Air Force veteran Craig Jensen. Her daughter is following in her footsteps as a current student at SUU working on her master’s of education in curriculum, instruction, and teacher leadership.
