Jennifer Pelic Camero '99

Jennifer Pelic Camero ‘99 was many things — she started her career as an accountant, then went to law school and worked as a lawyer, and finally discovered her calling and became a tenured professor of law at Southern Illinois University. She was many other things though that were far more important: a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend and my best friend.  She touched thousands of people in her too short life. At Saint Mary’s she was committed to her academic life, but always helped her fellow students. Tutoring, guiding and being there for us. Many of us who were at SMC with her have talked about how we wanted to get bracelets made with WWJD on them — What Would Jen Do? Because that is the way we feel having lost her. For 20 years, she was the chief counselor, advisor and cheerleader for not only her close friends, but also for her students, fellow faculty and staff members at all of her jobs. And without her, we have only her memory to guide us. Jen fought breast cancer and while she didn’t win that fight, her courage, combined with her work ethic, impressed many. She never gave up and she continued teaching her SIU students nearly to the end of her life. Jennifer has been honored by the Accounting Department at SMC with the Accounting Award being named after her. She would have been proud to know that her legacy will live on.