Jenna Marx has always believed in the power of stories, especially the ones we tell to help other people feel seen. 

That belief took literal form a few years ago, when she turned a beloved bedtime story her father once told her into The Most Boringest Thing, a children’s book illustrated by Adam Lauritsen. Published as a surprise for her dad’s 70th birthday, the book’s greatest reward was the moment she watched her father read it aloud to her young daughter—a full‑circle scene that captures much of how Jenna moves through the world: thoughtfully, relationally, and grounded in care.

     Care is also the through‑line of her professional life. A health psychologist by training, Jenna centers her teaching and scholarship on social justice, inequity, and the social determinants of health. Now in her eighth year as an Associate Professor of Psychology at Lebanon Valley College, she is known for designing immersive, experiential courses that ask students to move beyond learning about injustice and toward doing something about it.

     One such course led directly to “Homelessness and Affordable Housing in Our Community,” an immersive experience built around three intentional goals: consciousness raising, advocacy, and volunteerism. For Jenna, these concepts aren’t abstract. She has volunteered with individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity since childhood and holds fast to a simple, guiding belief—that housing is a fundamental human right.

     That belief is now driving a new initiative that blends education, community engagement, and collective action. On Saturday, April 18, 2026, Lebanon Valley College will host the inaugural Move Along 5K / 1‑Mile Walk, a fundraiser benefiting Covenant House Pennsylvania, a nonprofit serving young people affected by homelessness, human trafficking, and other systemic injustices. Planned entirely by Jenna and an eight‑member undergraduate Executive Board from her immersive experience course, the event reflects her commitment to mentoring students through real‑world leadership opportunities. The accessible one‑mile walk welcomes participants of all ages, with discounted registration for children and food trucks on site, underscoring the event’s community‑first spirit.

     Jenna is a licensed clinical psychologist and the owner of The Psychological Catalyst Collective, where she brings her passion for equity into therapeutic practice. And outside of work, life is full: she’s a toddler mom, a devoted rescue‑dog owner, an avid gardener and golfer, a weightlifter, and a boardgame enthusiast. She and her husband have made the Hershey area home for nearly a decade, a place where her personal and professional worlds continue to intersect.