Inside a Marian Central classroom – surrounded by her classmates and one of her favorite teachers, Kay Hansen – Jen Lada realized she was in her element.

There was just something about standing up in front of the speech and composition class delivering speeches and telling compulsory stories that resonated with Lada, a 1998 Marian graduate from McHenry. Blessed with the ability to write and deliver compelling oral accounts, Lada knew that by honing her craft she could turn it into her life’s work.

Lada, the confident and well-spoken athlete who led Marian’s cross country and track teams to success during her tenure as a Hurricane, now has the opportunity to tell her stories from a platform most broadcast sports journalists envy. Last week, after several years as a sports anchor and reporter at Fox 6 in Milwaukee, Comcast SportsNet Chicago hired Lada to help anchor and report in the nation’s third-largest TV market.