Cat Rescue Paused in Chicago due to Relocation
Meet Jenny
Hello!
My name is Jennifer Cartagena. I was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala and grew up in the United States. Education has always been a massive part of my life, largely because of the limited education I encountered as a child in Guatemala. Seeing that early on shaped how deeply I value learning, driving me to earn a Bachelor of Science in Marketing in 2023, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2024, and an MBA from Northwestern University in May 2026. Along the way, I also picked up a few languages, speaking English, Spanish, Spanish Sign Language, and French, while currently learning Arabic.
My journey hasn't only been in school. Professionally, I spent years working in marketing and growth strategy, serving as a SMM Specialist, Growth Marketing Lead at Equinox Hotel, and Head of Growth & Brand Strategy at Carnow Conibear before ending my career to follow my God-given calling.
I identify as a nondenominational Christian, and my faith has always been about following Jesus through the lens of showing His mercy and love through actions rather than just words.
In November 2025, I started Jheniru after seeing firsthand how much need there is in the world and realizing I could not just sit back. What began as a deep pull to rescue and advocate for animals quickly grew into something much bigger, taking me into community service around the world. This project is simply my way of using my skills to show up, love people and creatures well, and put faith into motion every single day.
Before Jheniru Jenny's Timeline
2024 to Present | Ongoing Community & Volunteer Support
Outside of my primary work with Jheniru, I continue to actively support my local community through ongoing volunteer tasks, grassroots involvement, and dedicated advocacy.
2020 to 2023 | Homeless Youth Advocacy & Support
While volunteering with The Haven Project, an organization dedicated to unaccompanied homeless young adults ages 17 to 24 in Lynn and surrounding communities, I worked directly to support over 300 youth annually. I drove multiple fundraisers across my college and local community, and eventually assisted with organizational reporting to help sustain and expand their vital services.
2020 | Educational Advocacy & Graduation Reform
While volunteering at a hospital during the peak of COVID, as a senior I worked to ensure graduating seniors could safely celebrate despite initial district restrictions. By petitioning the superintendent, school committee members, and district administrators with comparative data from other districts, I helped secure an outdoor graduation ceremony on a local football field. Although I personally missed walking across the stage after contracting COVID from my hospital volunteer work, helping secure that milestone for my peers remains deeply meaningful.
2019 | Public Health Advocacy & Policy Reform
Noticing Lynn's high teen pregnancy rates compared to Boston, I teamed up with a fellow advocate to push for student healthcare access. We gathered signatures and presented our case directly to the school committee. On November 14, 2019, the Lynn School Committee unanimously approved providing free birth control without parental consent across district high schools, which has since decreased teen pregnancy rates.
2018 to 2020 | Community Leadership & Policy Advocacy
I joined the Massachusetts Youth Leadership Committee. Collaborating with state legislators like Senator Brendan Crighton, I worked on systemic issues including youth violence prevention, immigration, and neighborhood resource accessibility.
Though my community work I received the following award: https://markbavisleadershipfoundation.org/jennifer-cartagena/
2016 to 2018 | Grassroots Advocacy & Community Development
While serving on the Boston Youth Leadership Committee alongside former Mayor Marty Walsh, I advocated for local community needs. A key highlight was successfully bringing forward the revitalization project for Noyes Playground in East Boston, helping secure a multi-million dollar renovation budget for a park from my childhood.
