Ever since Abby was a high school freshman at Pierce, Nebraska, she’s known that she wanted to be a drafter. “I went to Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska,” she shared. “I picked Northeast Community College, because of their drafting program, since I couldn’t manage to take any CAD classes in high school. It also helped that I only lived about 2 miles away from Northeast.”

While she was at Northeast Community College, she met her boyfriend, Ethan, a Yankton native. “I was involved in concert band and jazz band. I played trombone in the band for the two years I went to school there. I happened to sit right next to Ethan in Jazz band.”

Her teachers showcased opportunities for design drafters. “Our teachers talked about different places where we could get jobs, and during my first year of school, we toured Kolberg-Pioneer. While we were in Yankton, we also toured Eisenbraun Engineering (Now Stockwell Engineering), to see what was out there and what kind of work environment we would have.”

When she graduated, she found a career opportunity in Yankton, “Getting the design drafting position at Kolberg-Pioneer brought me to Yankton. I enjoy being challenged and also working on different products and designs all the time. I hardly ever work on the same conveyor. It’s always something different, whether it’s a 35’ conveyor or a 1000’ conveyor. And you learn new things every day. I also enjoy the people I work with if I ever need help with something they are there to help me or explain it.”

Abby’s dedication to learning has prompted her to continue her education while working. “I became a certified welder this summer,” she shared about the classes she took at RTEC. “When I was in Norfolk, I wanted to take a welding course but never did. When I found out that I had the opportunity to continue my education through Kolberg-Pioneer, I took them up on their offer.”

Outside of work, Abby combined visits home to Norfolk with a course at Northeast Community College. “I took an auto body class with my Dad on Saturdays this summer.”

Abby and Ethan love Lewis & Clark Lake and the Missouri Recreational River. “We go fishing a lot. We have gone fishing on the river, the lake, the James River, and Lake Yankton. We went boating this summer, too.” They enjoy exploring area events, “In the summer time, we also go to car shows, most of the time with my parents. We went to Bragging Rights on Thursday Nights down by the Meridian Bridge.”

Through Greater Yankton Living’s summer intern network, Abby discovered a few new activities to enjoy in Yankton. “I went to every activity that Greater Yankton Leadership offered,” she explained. “We went kayaking and did archery – that was the first time I have been to the Dakota Archery Center since I moved here. I also enjoyed playing disc golf and learning about Yankton’s history.”

We asked Abby what she would say to someone thinking about moving to Yankton to start their career. She said: “It’s a great town and you can make a lot of new friends here. If you like to live near the river and enjoy outdoor activities or just like to hang around the town, it’s the perfect place for you!”