Team TUSD

For Jennifer Culbertson, Vesey Elementary is worth the drive. Despite a 40-minute commute from the east side of town, Jennifer has spent nearly three decades calling Vesey home.

Jennifer’s career is a beautiful circle of passion. Starting as a third-grade teacher, she eventually moved into leadership as a curriculum specialist and instructional coach. However, her heart never truly left the classroom. "I missed the classroom terribly," she shared. After a brief stint in second grade, she followed her heart back to her "true love": the third grade. Jennifer’s passion for third grade stems from witnessing the transformation of her students. She finds it incredibly rewarding to watch them evolve from dependent learners at the start of the year into capable, independent thinkers by the time they move on.

When she isn't shaping young minds, Jennifer is a devoted family woman. She’s been married to her husband, Matt, for 26 years and is currently in the whirlwind of planning a wedding for her daughter, Sophia! Whether it's dress shopping or hanging out with her 15-year-old son, Eden, family is at the center of everything she does. This deep-rooted connection to the community recently came into full circle for Jennifer when a former student from her second year of teaching returned to campus. To her delight, she discovered that her former student is now a Vesey parent! It’s a perfect example of Jennifer’s philosophy: "Once you have a student, you feel like they’re yours forever."