After first starting at Temple in 2012, Jennifer Allen reenrolled to earn a bachelor’s degree in human development and community engagement. She was selected as the student speaker for Temple’s 139th Commencement ceremony.

Jennifer Allen 
Degree: BS, human development and community engagement 
College: College of Education and Human Development  
Hometown: Philadelphia
Next stop: Pursuing a master's degree in education entrepreneurship, University of Pennsylvania

Why I chose Temple: “If you want to go to school in Philadelphia, Temple is the best option. Ever since I was little, I’ve loved education. I used to make tests for my cousins to take. When I first started at Temple in 2012, I majored in secondary education. But when I came back a couple years ago, I couldn’t commit to student teaching because I work full time. I changed my major to human development and community engagement, which involves education in nontraditional settings. I found the internship opportunities more flexible with my schedule. This change of major was for the best.” 

Transformative Temple moments: “Two classes I took were particularly eye-opening—a curriculum and training design class with Christopher Williams and a leadership in organizations class with Pat Fligge. 

“In the curriculum and training design class, I had to create a six-week workshop I could teach somewhere, which included materials, activities and a structured lesson plan. Then I wrote a paper to describe the importance of this workshop and why I wanted to do it. This assignment helped solidify what I’m passionate about, which is working with juveniles in the detention system. My workshop was geared toward supporting young women in detention systems, providing mentorship and tutoring and all-around support.

“The leadership in organizations class brought theory to life. We related real-life situations to what we learned in class about leadership and reflected on how we could do better. Both courses helped me in my personal life and in my job as a customer service manager at SEPTA where I supervise employees who take formal complaints and commendations.

“My internship with the Inside-out Center has also been transformational and further solidified the work I want to do. This organization runs courses for people in the prison system. I had the opportunity to attend a closing ceremony for a class where students spoke about how the class inspired them and changed their outlook, which was enlightening.”

What’s next: “In July, I’m starting a master’s degree program in education entrepreneurship at the University of Pennsylvania. Ultimately, I’m open to various career possibilities and opportunities that may become available. Sometimes it’s serendipitous.”

What it means to speak at Commencement: “Starting at Temple and coming back means everything. I’ve struggled to get this degree, and speaking at Commencement is the perfect culmination of all the hard work I put in and the perseverance that I had to show working full time, taking care of my children and completing my degree. I look forward to speaking to the Class of 2026. In my speech, I emphasize that if I can come back to school, anyone can. It’s about having the art of resilience. We all have different stories of how we got here and what we went through to finish. I appreciate the openness of the university to receive me when I returned. I feel like I was given equal opportunity, and I appreciate it.” 

For more information about Temple University’s 2026 Commencement ceremony and access to the ceremony's livestream, visit temple.edu/commencement.