#FeaturedFriday Just Call Her a Triple Threat..! She's Strong, Undefeated & Funny Too

Some women are gifted in countless things, this particular young lady is not just a gifted and strong woman, she’s a funny one too. We are so happy to feature Ms. Jennifer Madden as this week’s #FeatureFriday honoree. 

Jennifer is indeed a woman of many talents, she has served our country and she is one of the funniest comedians to come out of our city [Chicago] (expect to see her take over the world soon). Jennifer is an Industry Triple Threat, she's a comedian, improviser, & actress. She is a recent scholarship recipient from the Second City Training Center and she currently has the honor of studying where greats like Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Keegan Michael-Key, Bob Curry, Bill Murray, Dan AyKroyd, Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Aidy Bryant, Chris Redd, and Cecily Strong all got their starts. 

Jennifer went to the Military at an early age after being informed about the "Post 911 G.I. Bill". She always wanted to go to an art school, most were private institutions and tuition was extremely expensive. So when she found out she could serve 4 years in the military and get up to 36 months of her college education covered, she made the decision to sacrifice her early twenties to make an investment towards gaining financial stability. 

Jennifer admits that being a woman of color, and being a female in a male dominated field was definitely challenging, but growing up and making it out of the Altgeld Gardens neighborhood in Chicago, no challenge is too tough. While in the military she worked on the flight deck as an Aviation Ordnanceman, [the crew members that load the bombs, missiles, bullets into the drums of the guns on F-18 E/F Fighter Jets]. She admits she misses her old crew, because in the military, AO’s are a very tight nit circle that sticks together... [She made sure to mention that she definitely does NOT miss loading 500lb. bombs.]

After serving at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana, she separated from the military and applied Columbia College Chicago where she received her B.A. in Arts Management with a concentration in Business & Entrepreneurship. Then, she used the remaining balance of her G.I. Bill at the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, where she received her M.S.W. with a concentration in Social Change and Innovation. When Jennifer got out of the military she would go out every weekend (mainly because Veterans got in free lol). One of the places she would frequently visit is The Second City, Chicago Club. She considered it to be a place of peace; her escape from reality and the real world, the place she would go to laugh and forget whatever she might have stressed about earlier that week. It's funny how things have turned full circle and she now studies at the place that has always brought her complete solace. Jennifer feels, "The universe has a funny way of placing you right where you’re supposed to be.

Jennifer started her comedic journey fall of 2018 and has been off to an amazing start. She has performed on reputable stages such as the world famous Laugh Factory and Chicago and Riddles Comedy Club. Her name most definitely rings bells due to her uplifting personality, unique style and wide range of content. If you are interested in seeing this Triple Threat in action, Jennifer will be performing at Baseline Night Club [2239 S. Michigan Ave] TODAY, April 12th at 8:30 pm. Jennifer is living proof that with hard work and dedication, everything you dream about can become your reality.