Leah Jaeger: Passing on joy and happiness to others with meaningful purpose By Margaret Pennock Photos by Kelly Middlebrooks | Little White Dog Pet Photography
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s a young woman, Leah Jaeger had every intention of leading her life to help others. In fact, her dream was to become a social worker because helping others was something that had always called to her. However, her life has taken a turn in another direction, one that has filled her with purpose and passion but has still led her down the path to helping others. A Sioux Falls native, Leah graduated from O’Gorman High School and earned her undergrad from South Dakota State University. Because education is incredibly important to her, she earned her Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from Briar Cliff University in 2018 and as well as her SHRM-SCP certification in 2020 all while working full-time. For the past eight years, she has worked in Human Resources for Marmen Energy striving to help others find happiness, purpose and meaning in their own lives. She shares, “I get to talk to people, help them find resources and find a career as well. I always knew I wanted to help people, and I thought social work was the way to do that.” Although a departure from her earlier career choice, working in Human Resources has kept her on track with her goal of helping others achieve fulfillment and happiness. She smiles, “Receiving a resume, meeting with the candidate and giving them an opportunity to a meaningful career path is incredibly gratifying. I love matching people with something they can excel at.” She continues, “Building relationships is important to me no matter what I am doing, whether it comes to work or home life. When you do your day-to-day job and are in the thick of work, sometimes it may be hard to sit back and realize what you’re accomplishing and building in the grand scheme of things.”
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SiouxFallsWoman.net | August/September 2021
