Jen Henderson is a real life Wonder Woman. She has a successful fifteen year civil engineer career, serves on the board of the Brazos River Authority, sits as chairwoman on the Student Health Advisory Council for Round Rock ISD and the Local Legends Selection Committee, coaches her 9 year old son’s baseball team and runs the Round Rock, TX Healthy Kids Running Series. When speaking with her, you are blown away by her passion driven attitude towards everything. In my short conversation with her, I learned she is willing and excited to give to those around her in the hope of a better tomorrow — making her a real-life Wonder Woman.
Jen serves as the manager of the Land Development Division at M&S Engineering. Recently, she was elected Vice Chair of the City of Round Rock Planning and Zoning Commission. Healthy Kids Running Series National Office congratulates Jen on this title and is proud of her hard-work and dedication. In this title, she works closely with the chair to see the big picture of the city. She ensures the specific projects match with the vision of the town.
“You wouldn’t place a subdivision next to a craft brewery. Instead you want your subdivision near a school,” states Jen. Thought and consideration goes into her projects to ensure the vision is achieved.
Her ability to see the vision of the areas she works in trickles into her work as a Community Coordinator for Healthy Kids Running Series. Jen talks about how at Week One most kids are timid. She hears “I don’t want to run” or a call for mom or dad.
However, Jen encourages the kids by reminding them the finish line is not far and they are capable.
She said, “I hold their hand and we make it across the finish line. By Week Five the kids are confident and don’t even need their parents to walk them to the start line”.
Jen says this change is what motivates her as a Community Coordinator. Like in her work, Jen sees the larger vision. In her most recent Series, she had fifteen kids from a local foster home.
Jen states, “During the race, the kids have a level playing field, they are not looked at differently and are just like everyone else for a solid hour”.
Even though Jen sees the impact of that single hour, I reminded her of the lasting impact. By being at the Round Rock Series, Jen aids children in building skills and abilities that will follow them through life. Because of Jen, the children build confidence and perseverance which go farther than the HKRS races.
Luckily for about some of the children in Jen’s Series, her impact will not end after they are aged out of Healthy Kids Running Series. One of Jen’s engineering projects was the creation of a local high school where about a one third of the children in her Series will attend.
HKRS National thanks Jen for all her hard work in her community and congratulates her on all her achievements.
