So about me, Jennie Withers.  My first priority is being a mom.  I am lucky to have two daughters, ten and eight, who teach me something new every day.  I am also stepmom to a very intelligent seventeen year old.  I am married to a great guy who lets me, be me.  We live and play in Boise, Idaho.

I graduated from Boise State University in Boise, Idaho - GO BRONCOS!  I started teaching in 1996, but after the 2010-2011 school year I decided to hang it up and focus on writing.  I still hope to work with teens through workshops and things.  I have taught Sophomore and Senior Language Arts, Reading, Creative Writing and Technical Reading and Writing. 

I enjoy watching (particularly Boise State football) and playing sports.  I am an Idahoan, so outdoor activities such as camping, hiking and fishing are a must.  Of course, reading and writing are also important in my world.

My first book venture was not all about me.  I was just the author of Hey, Get a Job.  Denise Dunlap-Taylor is my editor, my business consultant, my technology guru and all the things that make my eyes glaze and my mind numb when they come up.  I call Denise my Yoda.  I also have Lisa Hlavinka who takes care of the graphic design of the book.  I didn't know how visually challenged I was until she came on board.  For more information, including ordering Hey, Get a Job!, please click on the tab above.

Hey, Back Off! Tips for Stopping Teen Harassment was published by New Horizon Press Books which I am very excited about.  It was written with the help of my mom, Phyllis Hendrickson, and she is to be the co-author.  At the request of New Horizon, we added 20,000 words to the manuscript in the form of parent advice for helping their teen deal with harassment situations.  Its release date is September 1, 2011.  For more information, including ordering Hey, Back Off!, please click on the tab above. 

In order to make this writing gig work financially, I have also started to accept clients for technical writing, ghost writing and editing.  My experience as an author, as well as a teacher, make me an excellent candidate for this type of work.  

So that's about it for me.  If you're interested in further credentials, there is a complete list below that will probably make me look magnificent and far less boring than I really am.  

Workshops and Presentations

• Girl Scouts of Silver Sage - workshop on completing master application for job searches
• Idaho Teachers of English - workshop on resumes
• National Teachers of English and Reading - workshop on writing letters of recommendation
• Idaho Counseling Association - annual conference - workshop on passive, aggressive and assertive personality types
• South Jr. High in Boise, ID - workshops on workplace expectations and personality types
• Three Springs Juvenile Detention Center, Mountain Home, ID - workshops on workplace expectations, completing applications and interviewing
• Methodist Counseling Center - workshops for teens and counselors working with teens on finding jobs, workplace expectations, applications, resumes and interviewing
• Idaho Education Academy - in partnership with Northwest Nazarene University - instructor for an online continuing education course, Hey, Get a Job! Practical Survival Skills for Adolescents, instructor for an an online continuing education course, Hey, Back Off! Tips for Stopping Teen Harassment
• Idaho School Counselors Association - teen harassment workshop
• UEA Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Canyon County Counselors workshop on bullying prevention in schools
• Idaho Counselors Association workshop on bullying prevention

Boise School District 2004 – 2011

• Teacher of Technical Reading and Writing, Creative Writing
• 2010 - Member of the committee to align state standards with English as a Second Language curriculum
• 2009 – Technical Reading and Writing Curriculum Committee

Kuna School District 1996-2004

• Teacher of Reading and Language Arts
• 1999 – spoke at Kuna High School graduation – by student request
• 1999-2002 - developed and lead the Natural Helpers program for Kuna High School
• 2000 - created, developed and taught a remedial reading course for struggling students
• 2002 – Language Arts Curriculum Writing and Adoption Committee

Boise State University

• 1992 and 1994 – winner of a writing scholarship to attend National Undergraduate Literature Conference where I also presented my pieces
• 1992-1994 – contributor to The Arbiter – Boise State University campus newspaper.  Awards for Magic Johnson – Hero or Villain, and The Beauty of Idaho

• 1993 – $300 scholarship for Studies Abroad program after writing an essay about what I hoped to learn from the experience

• 1994 – Studies Abroad program to London, England where I studied Literature, Writing and Art

• Member of National English Honor Society 1992-1995
• Dean’s List – 1992-1995

High School