By this time, Jeri was already 11 years old and her father decided to retire at which point her mom decided to begin her career in social work. Because of all the moving around Jeri had done as a young child, she learned how to become somewhat of an actress without even making an effort since she was constantly changing schools and forced to make new friends.

Although Jeri initially wanted to be a veterinarian, her acting career began when she was in the fourth grade whereupon she starred in Market house Theater productions of Gracie at the Bat, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (as Lucy), and The Drunkard in the mid 80's.

In 1986, Jeri graduated at the top of her class from Lone Oak High School with. Fittingly enough, she was voted most talented by all of her classmates. Jeri attended Northwestern University and earned a BS in theater.

While studying at University, Jeri won the sixth annual Miss Northwestern Alpha Delta Phi Pageant in 1989. That same year, she won the Miss Illinois Pageant and went came in fourth in the 1990 Miss America Pageant.

Her professional career began when she was cast as an extra in the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Unfortunately, however, the scene Jeri was in did not make the final cut.

But soon enough, Jeri began getting call ins for auditions for television shows and she began acting professionally right after she graduated from University. Like most stars, she began doing some commercials in her senior year and then got her first guest-starring role in the sitcom Who's the Boss?, which starred Charmed vixen, Alyssa Milano.

Jeri was guest-starring on a slew of popular television shows including Matlock, Who's the Boss?, Murder, She Wrote, Reasonable Doubts, Time Trax, Melrose Place and Diagnosis Murder.

Ryan's stint on television was far from over as she starred in the made-for-TV movies Coed Call Girl, Nightmare in Columbia County and NBC's In the Line of Duty: Ambush in Waco.

As well, Jeri starred in some independent films which include The Last Man and Men Cry Bullets.

Although Jeri's attempt at her own starring role on a television show did not succeed as NBC's Dark Skies was cancelled soon after its debut, her more recent Star Trek Voyager role (as Seven of Nine) has developed somewhat of a cult following. Jeri has even signed with Paramount for another three years.