Finding Jensen: A Path to Empathy Through Understanding is a heartfelt memoir that invites readers to walk alongside Jensen Dee Parker Chappell-a transgender woman, mother, and engineer-as she navigates the journey of becoming her most authentic self. Told with unflinching honesty, moments of humor, and deep emotional clarity, this book weaves personal storytelling with thoughtful reflection to build a path toward greater empathy.
From the challenges of coming out in adulthood to raising children in a society that still struggles with acceptance, Jensen opens up about the fears, revelations, and triumphs that shaped her transition-not just in gender, but in self-understanding. Along the way, she explores how language, compassion, and curiosity can transform discomfort into connection.
More than just a memoir, Finding Jensen is a guide for anyone who has ever felt misunderstood-or who wants to better understand others. It's a book for parents who want to support their children, for coworkers striving to be better allies, and for leaders who hope to build cultures rooted in inclusion and trust. At its core, it's for anyone seeking to grow their empathy muscles in a world that desperately needs them.
This second printing includes additional resources, a care warning for readers, and a section of praise and reflections from those who have read the first edition. It also features expanded insights for readers who want to take what they've learned beyond the page and into real-life conversations and actions.
Whether you're just beginning to understand the transgender experience or you're already walking beside someone on their journey, this book offers a powerful reminder: empathy doesn't require perfection-it only requires a willingness to listen, to care, and to see the humanity in others.
With grace, humor, and authenticity, Finding Jensen offers a path worth following.
Jensen Dee Parker Chappell is a transgender author, software engineer, and culture advocate whose work centers around empathy, inclusion, and personal transformation. With a career spanning over a decade in the tech industry, Jensen has built her reputation not only on writing clean, scalable code-but on fostering human connection in spaces that too often overlook the power of belonging.Raised in a small West Texas town, Jensen grew up in a world where she didn't have the language to describe her identity-but always had a deep sense of curiosity and compassion for others. It wasn't until adulthood, after becoming a parent and an engineering leader, that she began the process of transitioning and embracing her true self. This journey-messy, beautiful, and deeply human-inspired her to write Finding Jensen: A Path to Empathy Through Understanding.Her writing blends memoir with reflection, aiming to create a bridge between communities that may not always understand each other. Whether she's mentoring junior engineers, advocating for inclusive language in tech, or speaking at internal company events, Jensen brings both clarity and kindness to every conversation. She believes that empathy is not a soft skill, but a critical one-especially in leadership, parenting, and the everyday work of being human.Jensen lives in Wylie, Texas with her wife, Amanda, their two daughters, and a rebellious cat named Ume who frequently escapes through the doggie door. When she's not writing or coding, she can be found tinkering with home automation, leading diversity initiatives at her workplace, or cheering from the sidelines at her kids' taekwondo class.Her debut book, Finding Jensen, is more than a personal story-it's a call to see one another more clearly, to lead more thoughtfully, and to love more fully. Jensen hopes her story helps others feel seen and reminds us all that understanding begins with listening.
