Cover Story

Leah Jaeger:

Passing on joy and happiness to others with meaningful purpose

By Margaret Pennock

Photos by Kelly Middlebrooks | Little White Dog Pet Photography

As 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.”

“My career is very rewarding, and watching kids and adults build a life they are proud of is one of the reasons I’m passionate about what I do. Witnessing students grow from a freshman in high school to CTE classes to building a fulfilled life inspires my passion to involve students, schools and teachers to keep exposing kids to all the possibilities that lie ahead of them. I love helping people and being a small part of others growing in their own success, whatever that may mean for them.”

–Leah Jaeger

She continues, “Over the last few years, it has been rewarding to be innovative and discover new ways to support schools, students and the community. Hosting welding competitions at the high school and tech school level has become a sought after event. Learning about people, trades, jobs, and the economy has been fascinating, and I want to be part of the solution that breaks down stereotypes about hands-on jobs. It is my hope that informing students and parents about the truth behind the enormous potential of the trades industry allows them the confidence they need to conquer a hands-on field. I cannot convince someone this is a smart decision unless I truly believe in it myself, and I do.”

In addition to helping individuals at Marmen meet their career potential, Leah serves on the SD SkillsUSA board, the Foundation Board at Lake Area Technical College, and the Welding Boards at Sioux Falls CTE and all four technical colleges in the state. A special point of pride for her is helping students interested in finding a career in the trades discover a pathway to a fully-paid education and direct link to work after. “I have connected 19 students with Build Dakota scholarships across all four technical schools since its launch.” She is also a supporter of The East River Foster Parent Network, the Banquet and the St. Francis House.

Leah is also exceptionally close with her family and friends, and she loves living in Sioux Falls and spending time together in meaningful ways. To keep connected with her family across the US, she participates in a family book club meeting with each side of her family monthly over Zoom. She notes, “This has been a great way to keep in touch with everyone, especially through the pandemic.” In addition, she hosts a cheese party during the holidays which has grown to become an annual event, including cheesy competitive games and puns, which her closest circle looks forward to every year.

For Leah, the past year has been an amazing and life-changing time. She has adopted her fur-baby Golden Doodle Jack and is joyfully expecting a baby daughter. She has also become a home renovator and investor with her fiance Lynard. “I have known Lynard for more than six years, and we started dating right at the beginning of the pandemic. To be best friends, laugh, have the same values, and want the same things in life is amazing. Lynard is from New York, so we’re different, but a good different. He is someone that challenges me in all the best ways.”

Having a wealth of alone time over the past year has given both Leah and Lynard time to recognize what is important to one another and build a strong foundation for their new relationship and family. Leah shares, “There has definitely been a silver lining with COVID. The pandemic has really made me stop and think about what and who is important while being intentional with how I spend my free time. Life and time are precious and can change very quickly, which has made me hopeful that people will be more purposeful with their time and energy. Finding what you truly enjoy and being happy in life is so important. I am very excited to become a mom!”

Looking forward to a life full of love, joy and happiness is paramount to Leah and sharing that with others is never off her radar. “A positive, 'can-do' attitude will take someone very far in life. My job is not to teach hands-on trades or how to actually weld or paint, but to find the person who is willing to put in time, patience and effort to succeed. Finding the right person and allowing them the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge they need to get ahead in life is important for me.” n