Jensen Scalzo

Jensen Scalzo - Arkansas Razorback Gymnastics

Jensen is a sophomore from Parkland, Florida. She committed to the University of Arkansas as a freshman in high school, but, because her first year in Fayetteville was the COVID year, it wasn’t shaping up to be everything she hoped it would be. Jensen was battling some personal things at the same time she was attempting to navigate the pandemic in her first year away from home. In that first year COVID prevented her from going home for Thanksgiving and they were only permitted a single day for Christmas. For someone from Florida that meant half of that day was spent traveling to and from home. She knew that pressing into Jesus Christ was the only way she would make it through.

Jensen leaned heavily on Catelyn Orel, who led the gymnastics team Bible study, for spiritual guidance. Catelyn initially got plugged into FCA while attending the University of Nebraska where she was discipled by Robbie Trent. Catelyn faithfully continued at the University of Arkansas what the Lord stirred in her at the University of Nebraska. Jensen regularly attended the team Bible study alongside the 10-11 others that participated where she was able to find a faith community within her team. She connected with Kiara Gianfagna who has been a huge influence in her life.

Perhaps one of Jensen’s biggest struggles during her first year in Fayetteville came from the rules implemented by the NCAA during the early stages of the pandemic which prevented student-athletes from hanging out with anyone they didn’t live with or practice with. Jensen is super social and the walls being constructed between her and other people was a tough pill to swallow. She was, however, able to grow very close with one of her roommates, Emma Kelley, during that time.

Jensen did not have FCA when she was in high school, but she knew it was something she wanted available to her when she got to college thanks to her brother, Nick Scalzo, a quarterback at the University of Kentucky, who is involved with FCA at UK. Jensen was able to get connected with Alex and Cortez McCraney so that she could plug in early. She loves how open and everyone is and nobody is scared to speak. She said it’s like a “trust bubble”.