Born and raised in La Porte, Indiana, Jennifer Sass briefly moved to Illinois for seven years before returning to live in her hometown with her husband and their three children. Together, Sass and her husband made sure they raised their children to be actively involved in their community, which is something Sass feels very strongly about.
Recently, Sass was the Assistant Principal at Portage High School, until she took the Principal position at Portage High School on July 1, 2014. Having taught for twenty-three years previously, four of which were spent at Portage High School, Sass felt that she was ready for the challenge of heading the school. As the new principal, Sass' responsibilities have changed drastically. Now responsible for overseeing the big picture, Sass is determined to make sure that the teachers and staff are offering the students everything they need in order to be successful.
"I love working among all the people here," Sass said. "The students. The teachers. The staff. That's what keeps me here – great people who are very passionate about education and about doing the right thing."
In her spare time, she and her family volunteer their time at the La Porte Salvation Army Soup Kitchen, preparing meals once a month. She and her husband have been very adamant about teaching their children how to give back to their community.
"I am a really big advocate for giving to others," Sass said. "They are now seeking out new organizations to help, which is exactly what I hope will happen with our new Volunteer Club at the high school. It's just so great. I leaner something from the people every time I go. Just feeling like I'm giving back, seeing their smiles because they got something they wanted and needed – it's an indescribable feeling."
Sass and the rest of the staff at the school are initiating a Volunteer Club, where the students can join together and volunteer in their community, providing the opportunity for the kids to start reaching out and helping the community. In recent years, Sass started a Clothing Closet on site at Portage High School, collecting teenage clothes, shampoo, and soap for the students to be able to use.
"We wash the kids' clothes here, make up goody bags with shampoo and soaps, and make clothes available to them, so that they can have what they need," Sass said. "We try to make sure they have everything they need in order to be comfortable and successful while they're at our school."
In what remains of her spare time, Sass enjoys attending all of the events happening at her school – whether sporting events, plays, concert programs, she loves it all. She also enjoys walking and spending time with her friends and family.