April 30, 2019

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Kayla Eitreim, president of Junior Achievement of South Dakota.

Name: Kayla Eitreim

Age: 36

Hometown: Sioux Falls

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

I love this community! My husband, Andrew, and I truly enjoy our jobs, and we’ve met many wonderful people both personally and professionally. In Sioux Falls, we are close to family, there are so many fun things to do, and this community has great schools for our boys.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

I get the chance to work with amazing people every day! The JA team is the best around, and we have wonderful board members, volunteers and other supporters who care about kids’ future. It’s hard to have a bad day when you’re surrounded by people who are passionate about our organization and want to help South Dakota’s kids succeed.

How did you get connected to your industry?

I was fortunate to have a number of nonprofit internships while attending Augustana, and I knew that I wanted to work in the nonprofit sector. I volunteered at a JA fundraising event with a group of friends during college, and when I saw an opening at JA after graduation, I jumped at the chance to be part of this awesome organization!

Describe Junior Achievement in three words.

Proactive. Empowering. Fun!

What’s your favorite way to give back to your community?

I had a wonderful experience at Augustana, so I enjoy giving back to the campus community by serving as the vice president of the AU Alumni Council. I have also been involved in Rotary for nearly 10 years, and I have enjoyed experiencing the ways Rotary impacts lives here at home and around the world.

What’s one business you’d like to see in Sioux Falls that isn’t here now?

Although we have many fabulous restaurants in town, a handful of my favorite locally owned restaurants have closed in the past few years. I hope Sioux Falls continues to see new local restaurants open up, and I hope the community will support them.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

In five years, we’ll have two boys in elementary school, so I’m sure we’ll have many activities to keep us busy, but we’ll continue to make weekends at the lake a priority. I am excited about the plan we have in place for Junior Achievement – in five years we will be impacting over 60,000 students across the state! Oh, and like a true Vikings fan, I see myself finally celebrating a Super Bowl win!