Jennifer Galambos ’88 dominated on the courts for the Franklin & Marshall women’s tennis team under head coach Patricia S.W. Epps. By the time her career had finished, Galambos had accumulated a record of 86-22 in singles, in addition to a 62-10 mark in doubles. Those 86 singles victories still rank second in school history to this day, while her 62 wins in doubles are the fourth-highest total in program history.
Galambos’ .861 winning percentage in doubles is the second-best mark in the Diplomats’ record book, while a .796 winning percentage in singles is also among the top 10 players in the program’s history. With an immediate impact on the team’s lineup when she first stepped on campus, Galambos attained her highest single-season win total of 25 during her rookie season, a record that is still third in F&M history. She would go on to win at least 20 matches during three of her four years in the lineup. Adding to her individual success in singles, she was equally impressive in doubles which was highlighted by a 19-1 record during her junior season.
Galambos won the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) singles title during the 1986 season by defeating Haverford’s Amanda Figland after finishing as the runner-up in 1985. In one of her most memorable matches throughout her career, Galambos rallied for the conference title with 6-0 and 6-3 victories during the final two sets after dropping a heart-breaking 7-5 opener. Galambos teamed up with Liz Kennedy ’89 to make a run all the way to the conference finals in doubles during the 1987 season.
While Galambos’ play brought her numerous well-deserved individual accolades – including being named the team’s MVP in 1988 – it also helped raise the level of play for the entire team as Franklin & Marshall won its first-ever MAC Championship in women’s tennis during the spring of 1985. That was the first of four consecutive conference championships for the Diplomats as Galambos’ impact laid the foundation of future success for the program. Appearing in the NCAA Championships as a team on three occasions (1985, 86, 88), the Diplomats compiled an 86-11 team record (.887 winning percentage) during Galambos’ playing career which included two trips to the Division III Final Four.
A founding member of the Chi Omega Sorority, Galambos still treasures the lifelong friendships she made at Franklin & Marshall. It is those skills that she learned in the classroom and on the tennis courts that she credits with making her the leader she has been for the past 40 years. She graduated from Franklin & Marshall with a degree in sociology. She would later earn her master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from Loyola University Maryland before obtaining a doctor of education in organizational leadership from Columbia University. Galambos used those skills throughout her professional career as a leader in independent schools, where she has held various positions as a teacher, coach, administrator and trustee. Her career in education has taken her to some of the top schools in the country, including Saddle River Day School, Green Farms Academy, The Bullis School and The Bryn Mawr School. Since 2017, she has served as the 11th head of school at Kent Place School, a 130-year old school for girls in Summit, New Jersey. Kent Place’s mission is to empower girls to advance the world.
Galambos currently serves on the boards of Moorestown Friends School and The Head’s Network. She additionally lends her expertise as the chair of the board of the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools, and she previously served on Franklin & Marshall’s Leadership Council from 2018-2021. Passion for students continues to drive her professional career as she focuses on student wellness, while balancing traditional academic values with innovation and character-building. To this day, the same lessons she learned at Franklin & Marshall she now infuses into the lives of others. Galambos supports F&M philanthropically and is a member of the 1787 and the Benjamin Franklin Societies, as well as a lead donor to the Epps Leadership Development Endowment.
