Her Story
About Jennifer
Jennifer Zielke is a chemical engineer who graduated from the University of Illinois in 1998. She began her career in operations supervision in the food and pharmaceutical industries, with additional experience in process engineering and supply chain. Over nearly 30 years, she spent about 20 years with owner-operators before transitioning to consulting and project management, where she worked for approximately 10 years, including nearly five years in her last role as a project manager. Jennifer now pursues ministry work, actively volunteering with Catholic Sports Camps and serving as a coach at Chesterton Academy of the Holy Family. She attributes her success to being confident in herself and using her gifts to help others grow, with a focus in the second half of her life on giving back and making the world a better place.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jennifer
01What do you attribute your success to?
My definition of success is being happy with myself and who I am, being confident in who that is, and having a desire to use my gifts, talents, and abilities to help other people grow to be the best version of themselves. Now in the second half of my life it's about giving back and helping the world be a better place.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
We need other people. I was told that the more you relied on other people and became vulnerable and allowed other people to help you, the easier life was, because we all need each other. It opened my eyes to being more open and willing to accept help.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Embrace who you are. Don't let people tell you you're not good enough, no matter who they are. Be persistent. Be true to yourself and be persistent. Don't get discouraged. Sit at the table because there's a chair there for you and you belong there.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Trying to do more with less. We're so efficient but we lose sight of any kind of balance. The need to achieve more and more with less and less people, time, energy. It's leading to the crumbling of the human family and we need to be human beings not human doings.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Humility. I am a prideful person and I am working on humility right now. That's the key. Know who I am and try to be a better version of that person every day.
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