Jennifer Shannon

Jennifer Shannon has been a New York City public school teacher for 26 years.

In addition to her work as an educator, Ms. Shannon is also President of A Better College Point Civic Association, Chairperson for the College Memorial Day Parade Committee, a small business owner in her community, a volunteer for All About Rabbit Rescue, and a guardian for many of College Point's animals in need of rescue and support.

Ms. Shannon comes from a family that instilled in her the penchant for helping others. She has been an active community member and has a lifetime commitment to assist those in need. For 19 years, Ms. Shannon’s teaching career was spent in underserved communities, which has been a life-changing experience.

A second-generation College Pointer, Ms. Shannon genuinely cares about the welfare of her neighborhood. She, along with an amazing team of dedicated volunteers, created A Better College Point Civic Association in order to support the community. This Association launched during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to support College Point’s food pantries in desperate need of resources. They were also able to provide “thank you” meals for New York City’s incredible first responders, and began helping community members resolve issues by connecting them to the appropriate City agency and/or local elected official.

For her hard work and dedication to her community, Ms. Shannon received a Citation Award from the Brooklyn Borough President, now Mayor Eric Adams, for being a “COVID Hero.” Ms. Shannon’s father served in the United States Navy, which is where her strong sense of patriotism originates from. She started out as a volunteer on the College Point Memorial Day Parade Committee in 2014, and has slowly taken on more responsibilities.

Her community service has also been extended to animals in need of support. Ms. Shannon and other amazing volunteers have rescued many abandoned rabbits, dumped guinea pigs, homeless cats and lost dogs from the College Point area and neighboring communities.

For Ms. Shannon, community service is just a natural part of who she is; her parents should be recognized for actively modeling these values throughout her life.