While Jennifer Breeden has had a varied career, all of her roles have been enriched by her artistic skills – skills she was able to focus on and hone at Laurel Ridge Community College. She earned her associate degree in liberal arts: fine arts in 2008.
After graduating from Luray High School in 2006, Breeden enrolled at Laurel Ridge. She was fortunate to be able to take all of her classes at the Luray-Page County Center (LPCC) her first year, and then commute to Middletown the second year.
“I attended Laurel Ridge mostly out of convenience – the fact that they had a campus in Luray made it very accessible for me,” said Breeden. “I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do, if I wanted to go to a four-year school, but I knew I did want to continue my education, so going to Laurel Ridge just seemed like the best next step. And, they offered some art classes. Being a natural-born artist, that appealed to me.
“I think the LPCC is a great opportunity for Page County and Luray residents to have access to a college campus nearby. For me, it wasn’t only the close proximity, but also the affordability. To have that opportunity to kickstart my education was so important. The classes were fun and I learned a lot. It was such a great mix of students from all different backgrounds. Some were my age and some were adults. I felt like I made meaningful connections with my fellow students and my teachers.”
She said she still has some of the drawings she did in those classes, and that the small class sizes made it easier to ask questions and have one-on-one attention from her professors.
“I really enjoyed the creativity, just being able to explore and learn art and color theory, and learning about art history,” said Breeden.
After graduating from Laurel Ridge, she transferred to James Madison University, earning a bachelor’s degree in fine arts with a specialization in photography.
“I took a photography class as an elective, and I fell in love with the dark room,” said Breeden. “I really got into doing portrait and narrative-type photography, like storytelling. It helped me get my first job out of college.”
That first role was with the marketing department at Shentel, where she did a lot of videography work.
“Getting my degree in photography kind of opened doors to other things,” Breeden said.
She attended festivals where she did caricatures, and started a photography and art business, Pearl’s Portraits, which she still has. Pearl is Breeden’s middle name.
“Being an artist, I have so many different interests,” she said. “I have had a lot of different jobs and hobbies and other things that come and go. My true passion is drawing and always has been. Drawing is one thing that has been consistent throughout my life.”
Currently working at a medical spa, Breeden is able to continue to explore her artistry.
“I love hair, makeup, fashion, cosplay,” she said. “Applying makeup is really like an artistic process. Also, knowing the face – my experience drawing caricatures, I’ve spent a lot of time studying the face. All of my life experience sort of culminates in this job. I’m using my creativity and my artistic skills as well to produce content for social media. I design all of our flyers, our pamphlets, anything related to marketing and design.”
Breeden is also attending Massanutten Technical Center in Harrisonburg. She has already earned two auto mechanics certificates and is working on an autobody one.
“I feel like I always want to be taking some kind of class,” said Breeden. “No matter what I’m doing, I feel like I always want to learn more.”
In high school, Breeden worked at Marlow Ford, and she and her father restored a classic 1968 Mustang together. Today, she owns two Mustangs – the classic from 1968 and a daily driver.
“I feel like with the autobody classes I’m taking now, that might turn into something more like a side gig,” Breeden said, adding perhaps she would design artwork for cars.
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.