When Jen Mulqueen became a Roots of Empathy Instructor in 2011, she was just weeks away from her first child’s first birthday. What followed was a journey that would quietly shape not only the children she worked with — but also the mother, friend, and community member she was becoming. As Roots of Empathy celebrates its 30th anniversary, Jen’s story is a reminder of what happens when empathy takes root close to home.
A Personal Beginning
Jen came to Roots of Empathy at a deeply personal moment — on the cusp of her own first year of motherhood. From the start, the two worlds were inseparable. Becoming an Instructor, she discovered, made her a more patient, more connected, and more empathic person — not just in the classroom, but at home.
She chose to teach at the school her own children would one day attend, and that decision turned out to be a quiet gift. By the time her daughter started Kindergarten, Jen already knew the staff, the students, and the families. She wasn’t a stranger walking through the door — she was already part of the community.
Close to Home
Over her years as an Instructor, Jen welcomed seven babies into her classrooms — each one the child of someone close to her. Friends. Her own sister. People she loved.
One year stands out. Pregnant with her second child, Jen worked alongside her best friend and her baby as her ROE family — an experience she describes as a dream come true. And in her final year, her sister and nephew joined her as her last ROE family, in her own daughter’s classroom. A full-circle moment, and a more meaningful end to her ROE journey is hard to imagine.
Empathy that Travels
What Jen came to understand is something that reaches beyond any single classroom:
To this day, Jen holds a special bond with every one of her ROE Babies, watching them grow and remembering each one’s time as a ‘Tiny Teacher’ — surrounded by a classroom of children who quickly became their biggest fans. For Jen, that ripple is both personal and profound. Roots of Empathy shaped the children she worked with. It also shaped her.
Jen Mulqueen served as a Roots of Empathy Instructor for 8 years, working with seven babies and building lasting connections across her family, friendships, and local school community.
