A language teacher for over two decades, Jen Laviola joined the MBS faculty in 2016.

Jen has taught students of all ages and walks of life, ranging from middle school to college and adult education. She worked extensively with the local immigrant community as an ESL teacher for ten years, and taught writing and public speaking at Essex County College.

Her interest in language learning began as a young child, as she grew up in a multi-lingual family, and certainly influenced her interests and activities as a student herself. As an undergraduate at Rutgers University, Jen studied Spanish, Russian, and Italian (along with political science), and she participated in study abroad programs in Salamanca, Spain and Urbino, Italy. Subsequently, Jen earned a Masters of Arts in Teaching at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Jen owned and operated her own food culture company for a number of years, and currently teaches Italian cooking classes in local continuing education programs. She truly enjoys the strong sense of community she has found at Morristown Beard as well as the opportunity to exercise her creative side. In addition to teaching her current students, she enjoys working with them in the Middle School Watercolor Painting Club.

In her free time, Jen loves to travel, cook, read, and spend time with her family.