Coming Home: A Familiar Face with a Heart for Students
Some places never really leave your heart.
For Lodi Academy’s new principal, Jennifer Cooper, this isn’t just a new job—it’s a homecoming. A Lodi Academy graduate from kindergarten through twelfth grade, she now returns to lead the school that first nurtured her love of learning and her faith.
Her journey has taken her from teaching in multi-grade elementary classrooms to special education, college courses, and eventually high school math. After nine years teaching at Lodi Academy and a season focused on family, she has come back in a new role—one she sees as part of God’s plan.
What excites her most isn’t a building or a title. It’s the students. “We have the best students,” she says. “They’re smart, talented, full of potential, and they inspire me every day.” She believes school should spark curiosity, build confidence, and help every child discover the gifts God has placed within them. Academic excellence matters, but so do character, leadership, friendships, and a growing relationship with Jesus.
As the mother of five, she understands what parents hope for when they send their children to school. She wants every family to know that Lodi Academy is a place where students are known, encouraged, challenged, and loved.
One of her greatest joys is hearing from former students years later seeing them thriving in their careers, families, and faith.
That’s the kind of impact she hopes every Lodi Academy student experiences.
For her, Lodi Academy has always been more than a school. It’s home. And she’s excited to welcome a new generation of families into a community where students can grow, belong, and discover the purpose God has for their lives.
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