Jen’s first aquarium, acquired at around the age of seven, housed a humble mix of guppies, barbs, tetras, then cichlids through the years. As an adult, she discovered the much bigger world of fishkeeping via a most fateful encounter, involving a Craigslist ad, former Army Lieutenant, mention of Takashi Amano, and suggestion to attend a club meeting. One club meeting later, the much bigger world of local fish clubs, planted tanks, and full-fledged aquaphilia had captured her. Ever since that first Greater Washington Aquatic Plant Association (GWAPA) meeting, Jen has been a passionate aquarium hobbyist and a dedicated enthusiast.
Currently she keeps and breeds an eclectic assortment of fish, with a recent love for biotopes and native fish, and actively competes in aquascaping competitions both live and virtual. Jen has served on the board of GWAPA since 2007, in addition to serving as an Aquatic Gardeners Association (AGA) Board Member since 2015. As an aquascaper, Jen is the most decorated in the US for live events, and since 2008 has won numerous awards in competitions at Aquafest, Aquamania, the Big Fish Deal, The Aquatic Experience, and Aquashella. She has also competed in the IAPLC and AGA online contests with a highest international ranking of #224 of 2,056 in IAPLC, and “Top Five” on two occasions in AGA. Jen is also an official Ambassador for Oase, a German-based filtration company, and represents them at tradeshows and store demos across the US.
Outside the tank, Jen holds a degree in Graphic Design and runs her creative business, Jen Will Design, from her home in Alexandria, VA, just outside Washington, DC.
Eager to grow the hobby in the US, Jen enjoys traveling to events and clubs nationwide to give presentations, aquascaping demos, inspiration, and encouragement to future ‘scapers.
