Jess is an International Student and Scholar Advisor and works with visiting international students, scholars, staff, and faculty at the University of Minnesota on J-1 and employment-based visas. She received a B.A. in International Studies and Journalism from North Dakota State University and an M.Ed. in Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum Design with an Emphasis in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from the University of Missouri.

Prior to starting at ISSS, Jess worked as an English teacher and Program Coordinator in Jinju, South Korea for nearly a decade. She returned home to Minnesota to work with immigrants and refugees in Adult Basic Education (ABE), then she was an advisor for J-1 students and scholars in Arizona, and she returned to Minnesota again in 2023. Jess has worked in ISSS since 2023.