Jenna Bush Hager facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jenna Bush Hager
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|---|---|
Hager in 2017
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| Born |
Jenna Welch Bush
November 25, 1981 |
| Alma mater | University of Texas at Austin (BA) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2000–present |
| Television | Today correspondent (2009–present) Today with Hoda & Jenna co-anchor (2019–present) |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse(s) |
Henry Hager
(m. 2008) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | |
| Family | Bush family |
Jenna Welch Bush Hager (born November 25, 1981) is an American TV personality, author, and journalist. She hosts Today with Jenna & Friends, which is part of NBC's morning news show, Today.
Jenna and her twin sister, Barbara, are the daughters of the 43rd U.S. President, George W. Bush, and former First Lady Laura Bush. She is also the granddaughter of the 41st U.S. President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush. After her father's time as president, Jenna became an author and a TV personality for NBC. She is well-known for her work on The Today Show.
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Jenna Bush Hager's Early Life and Schooling
Jenna Welch Bush was born on November 25, 1981, in Dallas, Texas. She was named after her grandmother, Jenna Hawkins Welch. In Dallas, she and her sister, Barbara, went to Preston Hollow Elementary School and then The Hockaday School.
In 1994, her family moved to Austin, Texas, after her father became Governor of Texas. Jenna attended St. Andrew's Episcopal School. From 1996 until she graduated in 2000, she went to Austin High School.
When her father became President in 2001, Jenna attended the University of Texas at Austin. She also took summer classes at New York University. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004 with a degree in English.
Jenna Bush Hager's Career Journey
Teaching Experience
Before leaving Washington, D.C. in 2006, Jenna Hager worked as a teacher's aide. She worked at the Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School for about a year and a half.
She took a break from teaching to work at a shelter. This was part of an internship for UNICEF's Educational Policy Department in Latin America, specifically Panama. After her UNICEF internship, Hager went back to her teaching job in Washington, D.C. She also worked part-time as a reading coordinator at the SEED Public Charter School in Baltimore, Maryland. She has also shared monthly news stories about education on the Today show.
Becoming an Author
In 2007, Jenna Hager started working on a book idea. The book is called Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope. It shares her experiences working with UNICEF charities in Latin America. This included visits to Paraguay in 2006.
HarperCollins published the book on September 28, 2007. A large part of the money she earned from the book went to UNICEF. The rest went to the young woman whose life inspired the book, helping her continue her education.
Hager wrote a second book with her mother, Laura Bush. This book was made to encourage children to read. It is called Read All About It! and was published on April 22, 2008. In 2012, Hager became an editor-at-large for Southern Living magazine. In February 2023, she announced her third book, Love Comes First.
Working at NBC News
Since 2009, Jenna Bush Hager has worked for NBC News. She is a correspondent for Today and also a contributor and anchor. She joined The Today Show in August 2009.
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Over time, Hager's role on Today grew. She often filled in as an anchor and co-host. In 2018, she interviewed Michelle Obama. They talked about life in the White House and raising children in the public eye. They also discussed Obama's book, Becoming. Michelle Obama shared that despite their political differences, Hager's father, George W. Bush, is a "beautiful, funny, kind, sweet man."
In March 2019, Hager started "Read with Jenna," a monthly book club on Today Show. In April 2019, she began co-anchoring the fourth hour of Today with Hoda Kotb.
In 2021, Hager shared her feelings about the storming of the United States Capitol live on air. She spoke about the importance of the building and her personal memories there. In February 2022, Hager signed a deal with Universal Studio Group.
Jenna Bush Hager's Personal Life
Jenna Bush met Henry Chase Hager during the 2004 presidential campaign. They got engaged in August 2007. Before asking Jenna to marry him, Henry asked President Bush for his permission. Their relationship became public in 2005 when they attended a White House dinner together.
Henry Hager went to St. Christopher's School in Richmond, Virginia. He also earned an MBA from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia. He worked as an aide for the U.S. Department of Commerce and at the White House. Henry's father, John H. Hager, was a former Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.
Jenna and Henry were married in a private ceremony on May 10, 2008. The wedding took place at her parents' Prairie Chapel Ranch, near Crawford, Texas. Henry and Jenna Hager have three children.
Jenna Hager is not a member of the Republican Party, unlike many of her relatives. In 2010, Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush told People magazine that they prefer not to be identified with any political party. They said, "We're both very independent thinkers." Hager is also on the board of the Greenwich International Film Festival.
See also
- New Yorkers in journalism
- Today (U.S. TV program)#Today Fourth Hour
