the Valas

Jiri and Jen have been together for seven years. Their wedding was in Argentina, one of the many places they’ve traveled around the world. They love to travel together and have been to South America, Central America, Europe, and recently to India. Jiri and Jen are close with their families. Jiri has a younger brother and sister-in-law with two boys: a five year old and a two year old. Jen has a stepbrother and two half brothers. Altogether Jen and Jiri have three nephews and are hoping to adopt children. Their families are very supportive of their plans to adopt.

Jennifer “Jen” Vala teaches American Literature, English Composition I and II, Academic Writing, Business Writing, and World Literature at the university level. She is currently working on a PhD in Literary Studies and is discovering how much she enjoys teaching writing. Watching her students grow and make their own discoveries is one of her great joys. In addition to loving books and writing, Jen supports the arts. She worked for twelve years at Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education and was a theater professional for over twenty years. She has appeared in plays, feature films, television shows, commercials, industrials, and voiceovers. Her favorite hobbies include cooking, gardening, yoga, and Pure Barre classes.

Jiri Vala (pronounced “Yuri”) works on the cutting edge of the marketing industry doing search engine optimization. He loves the outdoors and is an avid kayaker. He was featured by CNN the first time he participated in the Green River race. Jiri taught skiing in Utah where he grew up. When he’s not kayaking, his hobbies include gardening and making furniture. Jiri was born in Czechoslovakia and his family escaped to the United States when he was two years old. His parents recently celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary in June. Jiri still has some family (aunt, uncles, and cousins) in the Czech Republic so Jen and Jiri enjoy visiting them when they are able.