Jen Harnett

Jen Harnett writes and speaks on overcoming traumas and adversities. “Survivor”, was never an attribute I ever wished to be added to my list accomplishments. For me that has meant surviving numerous traumas, including the deaths of two of my children. After a tragedy occurs you are left with two choices: check out of life, or you develop a new life, I chose the second.” Jen’s passion is to inspire others to see their potential in life, even if their story includes heart breaking trauma or changes, and reach towards new goals that encompass their obstacles and trauma.

Jen Harnett lives on a farm outside Kansas City with her husband, youngest son, and two black labs; she also has a son who attends college in Wisconsin. After the death of her daughter see went back to college and received her MA in Education, with an emphasis on behavioral disabilities. She continues to work with students on behavioral replacement goals and goal achievement.

Jen serves on the board for the national missing persons organization, CUE Center for Missing Persons, as the Kansas State Outreach coordinator. For Jen this is an outlet that honors her son, who went missing for almost a month, before being found deceased in his car. As a CUE Outreach Coordinator she gives informational presentations on missing persons and safety, in hope that it might stop another family from experiencing the pain of a missing person. In addition to this Jen has received her national certification as a search and rescue worker, and attends search’s looking for other families missing loved ones. She is also in the process training one of her black labs in become a certified HRD (human remain detection) search dog. Jen also works with the American Red Cross as a disaster responder.
Living life with a large family was the only goal that I had ever really wanted to achieve. However, that is not what life handed me. The choice of what to do with that is mine though.

I choose to find beauty in life wherever I can find it.

I choose to laugh, both at myself, and in the stories that unite us as humans.

I choose to be the shoulder to cry on when someone needs it, and also accept the shoulder of someone else when I need one to cry on.

I choose to practice faith and trust.

I choose to help those who need a helping arm to guide them on their path towards solace and true potential, and accept the arms that have and continue to inspire me on that same path.