Kayla Kirchmeier – Alumni Profile

Kayla Kirchmeier, Webster, SD

Environmental Technology, 2018
Business/Marketing & Management, 2020

Why did you choose to attend Lake Area Tech? I chose Lake Area Tech because it was close to home. I have always been someone who is very involved with my family, and the town I grew up in. I wanted to be able to still do that while in college, but still be able to have the college experience. Lake Area gave me that, and more.

Where are you employed today? Meyer Insurance

When was the last time you visited campus? I was there in January 2023 for the scholarship luncheon for the John Knebel Scholarships (he was my uncle).

What was your favorite thing about Lake Area Tech? My favorite thing about Lake Area Tech was the class size. I loved being able to get to know everyone I went to class with everyday. You’re able to develop such a bond with your classmates, and instructors. I always felt very connected to my instructors because they were able to be so one on one with us. It made learning easier, and honestly a lot more enjoyable!

What was the biggest lesson you learned at Lake Area Tech? The biggest lesson I learned at Lake Area is how to just truly be myself. I never felt like I had to be someone I wasn’t. They open the door for you to be who you want to be.

What made you want to continue your education? I knew from a young age that I always wanted to go on to college. Not many people in my family went on to higher education, and I wanted to make sure that I did being I was given the opportunity. I thought originally I wanted to go to a university and experience all those things, but I quickly learned that it wasn’t for me. I ended up right where I needed to be, even if it meant a slight detour first.

What advice would you give a current Lake Area Tech student? Have fun. Enjoy the experience. Be involved. Time goes by way too fast, and before you know it, you’re done. Look at me, I came back for two more years!

What makes you proud to be an Alumni of Lake Area Tech? I am proud to be a Lake Area Tech alumni because Lake Area stands for so much. Their reputation is one that is hard to beat. Lake Area cares about you, and your future. You are not just another number in their list of students. You mean something to them and they want you to succeed.

What advice can you give to Lake Area Tech students that will be entering the workforce? Be open to different opportunities. Upon going to Lake Area I thought I had my future all figured out. What I wanted to do, where I wanted to be. I was wrong. I went for my first degree, I loved it and spent three summers interning doing just what I was going for. Then, in the middle of my second year, I wasn’t so sure if that was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I applied to Lake Area again for the Business Marketing and Management program. Can’t go wrong with a business degree, right? I went in and never did I imagine I would end up working in the Insurance Industry. The one elective I chose on a whim, guided me to my future. Here I am almost four years into my career, and wouldn’t change it. Not the place I thought I would be, but so happy that I am.