Mrs. Jennifer Kukay
Welcome to middle school at Saint Patrick School!
Who am I? Most importantly, I am a wife and mother. My husband, Chris, and I moved to Carlisle in 2008 and joined Saint Patrick Parish. My daughters, Katherine and Abigail, both attended Saint Patrick School and Trinity High School. I grew up in northeast Ohio and attended The Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) where I met my husband. We are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary this year! We lived in Plymouth, Massachusetts (yes, where the 'rock' is located) for eight years before moving to Carlisle. I have been in the classroom since Katie first entered kindergarten at Sacred Heart Elementary School a long time ago! I spent the first part of my career as a Certified Public Accountant, consulting, auditing and preparing taxes. When I finally decided to listen to God's constant nudging, I attended Shippensburg University to take the classes necessary to obtain my PA teaching certification. I worked as a substitute at Saint Patrick School until I was hired to teach sixth grade, and now middle-school religion. Catholic education allows me to live out our faith every day and share the light of Jesus with your children of God.
I am a voracious reader! I am never without a book - in my hand, on my Kindle, or on my Audible App. While I enjoy just about anything, my favorite genre is probably historical fiction, but you might also find me reading middle school novels as well. Every summer I take a few classes that help me learn more about the Bible.
I am a Buckeye to the core which can be troublesome in Penn State territory, but as long as OSU keeps winning, it won't be a problem. :) We recently adopted a dog, Luna, from a rescue in Dillsburg and the love in our house grew exponentially. She is a spoiled girl! Katie's cat, Leo, often spends weekends and long holidays with us, adding to the excitement.
Fun(ny) facts:
- I have been to see One Direction and Five Seconds of Summer three times (teen daughters...). My first concert was U2 in (old) Cleveland Browns Stadium.
- My husband proposed at De Belhamel restaurant in Amsterdam, Netherlands...I said, "Yes!"
- Katie was born in Akron, OH and Abby was born in Plymouth, MA.
- My favorite color is green and I love to be surrounded by tropical foliage and colorful birds.
- I love attending daily Mass and starting my day with the Holy Eucharist.
- My happy place is Aruba where Chris and I honeymooned and regularly return to Sharpen the Saw!
My educational background:
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration - 1993 The Ohio State University
- Masters of Business Administration - 1995 Cleveland State University
- Certified Public Accountant - 1995 to 2012
- PA Teaching Certification Courses - 2010 Shippensburg University
- PA Level II Teaching Certification - June 2016
- Advanced Catechetical Certification - May 2016
- Autism Endorsment (PA Teaching License) - May 2016