Written by Doug Goodnough
After graduating from Metro Detroit’s Utica Eisenhower High School with 700 students, Jennifer Klewicki Marlatt, ’90, was looking for a smaller environment for her college experience.
She found it at Hillsdale. Enrolling with the Chargers on a basketball scholarship, Marlatt said it was where she was “supposed to be.”
“Hillsdale College really caught my eye with its strong emphasis on the liberal arts, student life, and engagement,” she said. “My parents fell in love with the campus, and so did I. I just loved the feel of Hillsdale.”
The former Charger guard said her experiences on and off the court were memorable.
“It was a great group of girls who came from all over the state and had great [talents] to bring to the team,” she said of the women’s basketball program under then-Head Coach Phyllis Cupp. “We didn’t always have the best record, but I think we started to build a foundation for growth.”
She remembers the trips to the Upper Peninsula over Christmas break to play powerhouse programs like Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, and Lake Superior State.
“We went up to Lake Superior State, and they were ranked, and we beat them at their place,” Marlatt said. “We came together, and things started to mesh a bit.”
Off the court, the finance and marketing major said the classroom opportunities were just as memorable.
“We went into some of the not-so-great parts of Chicago and helped out with many different families and experiences,” she said of an off-campus trip in one of her classes. “There were so many opportunities that were awesome to have available.”
She met her husband, Mark, ’89, at Hillsdale, who was a member of the Charger football team. They both live and teach nearby in the Adrian, Michigan, area, with Jennifer finishing her 26th year in education. She currently teaches in the Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) program at Onsted Elementary School, along with robotics.
“There are so many who love that avenue,” she said of her program. “They’re thinkers. They’re not always your straight-A students, but they can figure things out.”
Marlatt completed her master’s degree in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University. She has coached throughout her teaching career, including junior varsity girls’ basketball for several years, and has served as Onsted’s varsity girls’ golf coach for the past eight years.
“Having those other experiences (at Hillsdale) enabled me to branch out a little bit,” she said of her teaching career. “I really love what I do.”
Out of the classroom, Marlatt is an avid runner, and has completed numerous half marathons.
“I run and do a lot of outdoor things, including travel. I’m also a ‘foodie,’” she said.
The Marlatts have one grown daughter, Sam, who lives nearby in Saline. They all enjoy going to sporting events, especially University of Michigan football games.
Marlatt said she and her husband follow the Chargers, especially the women’s basketball program.
“It was a great four years,” Marlatt said. “The sport piece was the avenue that let me experience all the great things that Hillsdale College had to offer.”
Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s senior director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.
Published in April 2025
