In this the second of our occasional IHS profiles, we welcome our new lead counselor Jennifer Jango-Cohen. You’ll recognizer her by her huge smile and effusive energy. She’d delighted to live and work in Incline… get to know her and you’ll be delighted too.

Jennifer grew up about 15 miles north of Boston, in Burlington, MA. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at UMASS Amherst and continued on to earn a Master’s degree in School Counseling at UMASS Boston. Throughout her educational journey, Jennifer developed a passion for social justice and a love for working with adolescents. She went on to serve as a high school counselor for four years in the Boston area before relocating to the West Coast.

Through family trips hiking and exploring National Parks of the U.S. and Canada, Jennifer was exposed to the beauty of nature from an early age. It was no surprise that she developed an adventurous mindset as her first camping trip was at 6 weeks old in the Canadian Rockies! After solo backpacking the John Muir Trail during the summer of 2018, Jennifer was inspired to move out west to Lake Tahoe so she could learn to ski and rock climb. It did not take long to fall in love with the area and what was intended as a six month stay evolved into a full time transition upon joining Incline High School.

As an avid traveler, Jennifer came to recognize how global awareness and experiential education is intrinsic to supporting the development of young people. In her eyes, exposure to diversity and culture in the early years of life is the most effective way for young people to become prepared for the globally minded society we live in today. She is impassioned to support and advocate for a climate of tolerance and understanding within school settings and knows that this type of school culture promotes greater student well-being and ultimately, academic success.