Jennifer was absolutely phenomenal. As a complete beginner, I was honestly a little nervous going into this, but she immediately made me feel comfortable, safe, and confident. She explains everything in a way that's easy to understand without ever making you feel overwhelmed. The class was the perfect balance of safety, fundamentals, and hands-on practice. I walked away actually understanding how to properly handle and shoot my firearm, which I didn't expect to feel so quickly. If you're even thinking about learning, especially as a beginner, I cannot recommend her enough. She creates such a calm and supportive environment and truly knows what she's doing. read more

My mom and I learned so much during this training! Both of us knew next to nothing about guns going into it, and Jen was able to guide us through the basics of gun handling and safety with so much patience and an easy-to-understand PowerPoint presentation. At the end of our training we went to a range and shot at a real target -- such an eye opening experience! Both my mom and I feel more educated and safer for having gone through this training. Thank you so much, Jennifer! You're providing such an amazing service for women everywhere! read more

My wife and I decided we wanted to have a firearm for our home. We have zero experience and did not know where to start. We took Jennifer's class this past weekend, and we're very pleased. She explained everything in about a 2.5-hour session. She then came to the range with us and had us shooting with confidence. We are now ready to make our purchase. We could never have gotten this far without Jennifer's knowledge, patience, and hands-on instruction. We highly recommend her class if you are new to firearms. read more

Given the cultural conversation around guns, along with considering various approaches to self-defence, my wife and I were interested in getting some experience with firearms at the shooting range. Which meant, of course, finding a teacher who could show us the fundamentals of safety and technique as well as guide us with hands-on experience at the shooting range. I looked at various options in the area and ultimately chose Jennifer on account of her simple, straightforward, and practical approach. And she really delivered. She's very friendly, unfussy, and encouraging as she used virtual tools to teach in preparation for going to the range for live target shooting. It was a great experience all around. I'd definitely recommend a class with a Jennifer! read more

My mom and I are beginner pistol handlers and went to Jennifer for her Pistol 2 class. She was AWESOME! We both walked away feeling more confident not only handling the pistol, but with more knowledge about safety (which is most important). I'd highly recommend taking a class from Jennifer if you are a beginner or just need some brush up on handling and safety. 10/10!!! read more

I had never fired a gun, and was in fact always nervous about even the subject of guns! But when an opportunity came up to take a class from someone who seemed to understand that there are a lot of people out there who are like me, and who had obviously designed a course to cater to us 'non gun' people, I jumped at the chance! And as I imagined, it was indeed as comfortable and non-threatening as I had hoped for. Jennifer really took the time and had great patience with me. I would highly recommend her course to anyone! But in particular, anyone who has always been curious about guns, but may be too scared to give it a shot! (Pun intended!) Thank you, Jen! read more

Fantastic class and instructor. Very informative, and a must for basic safety guidelines. It was a long time since I handled a firearm, and Jen was very patient and her training is excellent. I felt confident going to the range right after our class. I highly recommend this class for anyone wanting to learn about firearm safety. read more

I inherited a handgun and knew absolutely nothing about how to use it, so I decided to head to a shooting range to take a lesson. Suffice it to say, that was an intimidating and creepy experience, all in one. Some old, stinky grandpa-type actually made a pass at me (he's clearly never heard of #MeToo!!?!) and the instructor I was supposed to work with looked like something straight out of a Rambo movie (he was scary!) After coming up with an excuse to leave, I decided just to put my gun in a safe spot and forget about my fantasies of female empowerment. BUT then, not long ago, I heard about Jennifer from a friend of a friend who had taken gun safety lessons from SKS Basics. When she called me back, I was relieved to hear a friendly, joyful voice on the other end, and even more thrilled upon meeting Jennifer (as she looks like my best friend from college AND was very professional, yet down to earth -- she's a normal mom, just like me!) After she taught me the ins and outs, we did some simulation work in the classroom. Jennifer ALSO knew her way around the shooting range, so even though there were some very macho "dudes" (one even shooting a semi-automatic rifle!!!), I felt comfortable working with her. I always felt safe, and if I had any questions, Jennifer did not rush me -- she made me feel confident, and that wasn't something I expected to feel while holding and/or operating my gun. I've since met Jennifer two more times at the range to continue my education. I've gotta say, I'm a pretty good shot (even with my other hand who knew!!?!) I can see this turning into a hobby -- it's definitely exhilarating to have that much power in your hands!! What's more powerful is knowing that I won't kill myself (or anyone else) if I hold or use the gun. I'm really glad I didn't let the intimidation of the shooting range keep me from tackling this fear. Thank you Jennifer at SKS for giving me the skills and confidence. I'm excited to continue my skills! Ps. I think I've earned the respect from the other "guys" at the range, too ;-) read more

When my friend suggested we take a gun safety course, I thought she was crazy. I had never handled a gun nor had any interest in doing so. But I decided to take her up on her offer and I'm glad I did. Jen knows so much about guns and explains them in a way that really empowers her students to treat them and what they can do with respect. She also teaches in a calm, soft spoken, non-intimidating manner. She answered every question with expertise and I felt extremely safe in the classroom- no live ammunition was there so I could relax and not worry about anything accidentally tragic happening. Jen took me through the proper ways to load, unload and handle different kinds of guns. I learned about variety of bullets and terminology I had heard of but couldn't define. After a few hours in the classroom, we went to a gun range- a first for me! and Jen allowed us hands on experience with target practice. I'm really glad I took this class and whole heartedly would recommend it to other women who want to learn about guns and gun safety. read more

Whether you are a newbie or just looking for a refresher, call Jen. She is amazing! She is patient with her approach and wants to make sure you have all of the essentials down. You never feel embarrassed or small. I am new to the firearm world and Jen helped me get over any fears I had. I look forward to continuing my education and training with her. read more

I was a new gun owner, and while not a stranger to rifles, shotguns, etc., a 10mm handgun was completely new to me, and a little intimidating. Before I bought it, I looked into who I might get lessons from, and a friend strongly recommended Jennifer, and now I strongly recommend Jennifer. She is completely thorough, patient, and obviously super safety conscious. Starting with teaching the parts of the firearm, how they work, through loading, aiming and firing, the laws around transporting, and many steps in-between, by the time I had spent 3 hours (4? can't remember), I was a comfortable gun owner. In fact, I need to reach out and take some more brush up lessons! Time learning from or brushing up, with Jennifer is time very well spent. One last thing, at the range she demonstrated firing position, trigger pull technique, etc., and hit very tight clusters every time (sorry to put the pressure on you, Jennifer!)...she knows what she's doing! read more