Jennifer Burns

SCC Community Members

Jennifer Burns, top female SCC alum finisher in the 2013 RUN. LIVE. LEARN. 5K. race, likes being able to participate in a local race. Jennifer graduated from SCC in 2005. 

“I like RUN. LIVE. LEARN., because I know the area well,” Jennifer said. “And it’s a medium-sized race, not too small or too big, so you have a good chance of running a personal record time.”  

Besides it being close to home, the event combines two things that Jennifer is passionate about – education and running.

Each year, RUN. LIVE. LEARN. offers health and wellness grants. Since 2006, the RUN. LIVE. LEARN. Committee has funded 37 health and wellness projects totaling $28,328. 

In 2013, RUN. LIVE. LEARN. began awarding one randomly selected runner a $1,000 scholarship to SCC. 

As a fifth grade teacher at Herman Middle School in Gasconade County, she loves helping her students learn. “I discovered my passion for teaching, when I spent time tutoring kids to earn the A+ scholarship,” Jennifer said. 

She started running with her friends in a “Couch to 5k” class in 2011. Since then, she has done a marathon, nine half-marathons and too many 5k’s to count.

She enjoys the challenge of trying new distances, but more than anything she wants to have a good time. “I love the themed races most,” she said.

“I do it more for fun than anything else,” she said. “My friends and I call ourselves AAs – accidental athletes – because we picked up running on a whim, kept it up, and really enjoy it.”