Jess is the author of two children’s books, Soon and Sometimes, which offer a child’s perspective on deployment drawn from her own lived experience.
As the daughter of a former Army officer, Soon and Sometimes reflect her emotions during her father’s 13-month deployment in 2008.
Defence Health kindly supported the publishing of both books, which are now included in deployment packages across Australia.
In 2015, Jess received the Chief of Defence Force Commendation for her work supporting Defence children and raising awareness through Soon and, in the years that followed, Sometimes.
Jess has been a Soldier On Ambassador since 2016. She is currently based in Victoria, working as an Intensive Care Nurse at a specialist centre. She also continues her involvement with volunteer fire services and works as an instructor in the first aid sector.