See photos of a teenage Jennifer Lopez in high school in the Bronx. Learn more about why she’ll always be Jenny From the Block!
Birthdate: Jul 24, 1969 (Age 56)
High School: Preston High School, Bronx, NYC, USA
Yearbooks: 1986 | 1987
Who is Jennifer Lopez?
Whether you’re singing along to “Jenny From the Block” or watching her shine in her breakout movie role in Selena, you know J Lo’s dominance of pop culture in music and film has surely left an impact since reaching star status in the late 1990s.
Jennifer Lopez (also known as J. Lo) is a world-renowned superstar known for being a top singer-songwriter, dance performer, actress, and entrepreneur. She has been highly influential in both American culture and worldwide for her role in bringing Latin pop music into the mainstream as well as barrier-breaking representation for Latin Americans in the film industry.
But before the fame, a young J. Lo was ‘from the block’ in the Bronx. Let’s dive into her childhood and education background in New York City before she hit the big time.
Where Did J. Lo Go to School?
Early Childhood
Jennifer was raised in a religious household, and attended Holy Family School to get a Catholic education in her early education. She also attended Catholic Mass every Sunday.
Jennifer Lopez’ High School Education
Jennifer Lopez was born and raised in the Bronx, NYC, and attended Preston High School, a private school there.
In high school, Jennifer was a self-described “tomboy” and “very athletic”, being a nationally competitive track and field athlete as well as a gymnast and softball player.
It was during her teenage years that she became obsessed with dance after getting inspired by West Side Story, and ‘[she] practiced until [her] legs and feet ached”. She learned jazz, flamenco, and ballet dancing and went on to teach younger students at a Boys & Girls Club, including future famous actress Kerry Washington.
Did J. Lo Go to College?
Jennifer Lopez attended Baruch College for one single semester, before deciding to quit college to pursue her education in dance at Manhattan’s Phil Black Dance Studio, much to her parents dismay.
Her mother ultimately asked her to move out of her Bronx home at 18, so she spent many of her early days living on her own by sleeping at the studio.
Jennifer Lopez: Then Vs. Now
J. Lo has always stunned with her beautiful looks. Here’s how she looked in her younger high school years all the way through the 90s and 2000s up to today.
Jennifer Lopez’ Family & Significant Others
Thinking about J. Lo’s dating life might make you feel as nostalgic as her music and films. Get to know who Jennifer Lopez has dated over the years as well as her immediate family.
Who Has Jennifer Lopez Dated?
Jennifer Lopez has been featured in tabloids around the world after dating some of the other biggest names in entertainment.
People Jennifer Lopez has dated and married include:
- Sean ‘Diddy Combs’: J Lo dated the currently incarcerated rapper and entertainment mogul between 1999 and 2001. She described the relationship as challenging since “”It was the first time I was with someone who wasn’t faithful. I was in this relationship with Puff where I was totally crying, crazy and going nuts, it really took my whole life in a tailspin… I never caught him, but I just knew. He’d say he was going to a club for a couple of hours and then never come back that night.”
- Cris Judd: Jennifer met her backup dancer Cris Judd in 2000 before marrying him in 2001, but the two were divorced by 2002 and completely separated in 2003.
- Ben Affleck: any celebrity news follower knows the on and off again relationship known in the tabloids as ‘Bennifer’.The two met on set for the movie Gigli in 2002 before getting engaged in November the same year. They called off the wedding days in advance due to “media attention” forcing them to postpone it, but they officially broke up in January 2004. The two rekindled after her relationship with baseball star Alex Rodriguez ended in 2021, and ended up getting officially married in Las Vegas in 2022. Unfortunately, the two would ultimately get divorced in 2024.
- Marc Anthony: Shortly after her breakup with Affleck in 2004, Jennifer quickly got married to singer-songwriter Marc Anthony the same year. The two had twins in 2008, and ultimately got divorced in 2011, jointly releasing the following statement: “This was a very difficult decision. We have come to an amicable conclusion on all matters.”
- Casper Smart: After her divorce from Marc Anthony, J. Lo began to date choreographer and dancer Casper Smart in 2011, seeing him on and off until 2016 after he cheated on her.
- Alex Rodriguez: Rumors started bubbling around J. Lo dating A-Rod a few weeks after they started seeing each other in March 2017, before they made it official by being regulars in each others’ social media posts. He proposed to her in 2019, but their wedding got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and they ultimately called it off and split in 2021.
Raised in a Loving Puerto Rican Household
Parents
Jennifer Lopez’ mom and dad are Guadalupe Rodríguez and David Lopez, who both were born in Puerto Rico but met after moving to the Bronx. Her father worked as a computer technician at Guardian Insurance, while Guadalupe raised her and her siblings for the first 10 years of Jennifer’s life before working as a kindergarten & teacher as well as a tupperware salesperson.
Siblings
J. Lo is the middle daughter, and has an older sister named Leslie and a younger sister named Lynda.
What Was Life Like Growing Up?
Jennifer has said herself that it was a strict household growing up, influenced by their parents being devout Catholics.
She also said that, like in many Puerto Rican households, music was always playing around the house. Her parents encouraged her and her sisters to sing and dance and even make up their own plays to share with the family, paving the way for J. Lo to tap into her creative side as she got older.
Does Jennifer Lopez Have Kids?
Yes, Jennifer Lopez has two kids with her ex-husband Marc Anthony, fraternal twins named Emme Maribel and Max David that were born in February 2008.
Jennifer has nothing but praise for her children, stating that “It’s unconditional love. I know everybody feels this way about their kids, but I just feel like they’re super special. I can’t wait to see what they do.”
Jennifer Lopez’ Career
Between Hot 100 music hits and blockbuster movie hits, J. Lo has made a serious impact on culture worldwide.
Let’s explore some of her most popular movies, songs, and albums over the years.
J. Lo’s Music Success
Jennifer Lopez played a significant role in the global (and U.S.) success of the Latin Pop music scene.
Here are some of her most popular songs that will likely take you right back to the dance floor in the late 90s and 2000s:
- Let’s Get Loud (2000)
- Jenny From the Block (2002)
- All I Have (2002)
- On the Floor (2011)
- Dance Again (2012)
- El Anillo (2018)
And her full album list:
- On the 6 (1999) (3x Platinum in the U.S.)
- J.Lo (2001) (4x Platinum)
- This Is Me… Then (2002) (2x Platinum)
- Rebirth (2005) (Platinum)
- Como Ama una Mujer (2007)
- Brave (2007)
- Love? (2011)
- A.K.A. (2014)
- This Is Me… Now (2024)
Jennifer Lopez Filmography
Some of J. Lo’s most notable acting roles you’ve probably watched over the years include:
- My Little Girl (1987)
- Selena (1997)
- Out of Sight (1998)
- The Wedding Planner (2001)
- Maid in Manhattan (2002)
- Shall We Dance (2004)
- Jersey Girl (2004)
- Monster In-Law (2005)
- Home (2015)
- Hustlers (2019)
Explore Your Favorite Celebs’ Yearbook Photos
With over 480,000 yearbooks in the Classmates yearbook collection, you can search for all of your favorite celebrities’ high school yearbook photos. You can even search for your own photos or those of your friends and family for free today!
Sources:
- Everwest, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jennifer_Lopez_at_the_2025_Sundance_Film_Festival_(cropped_3).jpg
- Then – Classmates® 1987 Preston High School Yearbook, p. 42. https://www.classmates.com/siteui/yearbooks/20751?page=46
- Now – Everwest, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jennifer_Lopez_at_the_2025_Sundance_Film_Festival_(cropped_3).jpg
- John Bauld from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TIFF_2019_jlo_(1_of_1)_(48696670846)_(cropped).jpg
- Danilo Borges/Portal da Copa, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arena_Corinthians_Opening_(Cropped).JPG
- Firdaus Latif, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jennifer_Lopez_(8414252448)_(cropped).jpg
- Krassotkin, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_opening_ceremony_of_the_FIFA_World_Cup_2014_13_(cropped).jpg
