Name: Jen Davis Seckel (she/her)

First KAtCH event:
November 2015: Happy Hour at a bar that no longer exists in River North (was it called Blackfin?). It was coordinated by Chris Detrych and I recalled his name as someone from my hometown and decided to go the following day. On the train home, I remember thinking to myself, wow these are people that I want to know for the rest of my life which has come true!

Where did you grow up/Where do you live now?
I have lived in Chicago since 2008. Prior to living in Chicago, I spent 4 years in undergrad in NW Ohio, and my youth in metro Detroit. I attended the same high school and overlapped (2) years with Chris Detrych but we weren't friends until I joined KATCH. My parents allowed me to opt-in and out of cross-cultural events and I attended several day camps and sleep away camp (Sae Jong in Westminster, MI) throughout my upbringing. One very formative decision that my mom made on my/our behalf was a family exchange program that paired our family with a Korean immigrant family living in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I learned a great deal of Korean culture from the Choi family who had three daughters close to my age. All three girls were devoted pianists, top students, and shared their love of K-Pop with me. Even as a middle-schooler I could identify the claustrophobia of the expectations on them and gave me my first real notion that I didn't need to idealize or romanticize Korean culture. 

Tell us about yourself:
After my first KATCH event, I spent the following year immersing myself in the newness of connection to Korean culture, friendships, and KAD groups at large. With some (very little actually) encouragement, I joined the KATCH Board as Secretary in December 2016 and have recently rolled off board in December 2023. During my time on the board I am very proud to have been a part of incredible membership growth, celebrating KATCH's 10 year anniversary with our KATCH10 conference, and enabling other board members to grow our funding sources through grant writing. I've made countless friends through KATCH and am very very happy to say that my community is full of Korean Americans and can provide my son (5) with a racially diverse upbringing in my area of Cago. My current career focus is as a Project Manager of digital signage in QSR hardware deployment. Right now I am onboarding every US Dunkin' store to my team's CMS. Next time you're inside a Dunkin' *or a* Dunkin' drive thru and you're ordering off of a digital menu, think of me! 

You’ll likely KAtCH me doing the following:
When I'm not slinging digital menu boards or at a KATCH event, you can find me on my orange e-bike, crafting, and listening to audiobooks. 

Funny read: Nothing to See Here - Kevin Wilson

Impactful read: Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

Very good book that I thought about a very long time and would recommend with CW: The Bee Sting - Paul Murray

Unequivocal recommendation: The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller

Favorite restaurant(s) in Chicagoland:
(Favorite Restaurants in Albany Park)

  • Ban Po Jung - Korean

  • Kim's Home Cooking - Korean 

  • Kabobi - Persian

Find me/Social Media: @itsjendavis on Instagram