The Rapid City YMCA has always felt like a second home for Nicole Krebs. “I grew up at the Y,” she said. “I came here after school all through high school until I left for college.” Now, as the Early Learning Director, she’s been able to give back to an organization that gave so much to her.
Nicole attended South Dakota State University where she majored in Early Childhood Education and Care. “I originally wanted to go into High School Education, but I took a guidance course on early childhood education and was placed in a Preschool classroom and I loved it,” she recalled. “It really hit home the importance of the first five years of a person’s life. By five, a person’s brain is 90% developed.” After that experience she knew that was the direction she wanted her career to go. “It’s the time of their life when you can be proactive, not reactive. Kids can start to build good habits early on.”
After graduating with her degree, Nicole spent one year abroad in Turkey, where once again she was both inspired and affirmed in her career path. “It was eye-opening to see the collective culture in Turkey, caring for children is a cultural identity; uncles, aunts, and grandparents all worked together to raise kids in a community,” she explained.
This overwhelming feeling of community contributing to the care of children was confirmation to Nicole that she was in the right field of work. After returning from Turkey, Nicole returned to her original community: Rapid City. “My family is all here, and I think the Hills have their own uniqueness. It feels like a hidden gem after going and seeing so many other places.”
Once again, the stars were aligning for Nicole and her career as she returned home to Rapid City.
The YMCA had expanded into the former Black Hills Energy building at 625 Ninth Street. Nicole was able to do a walk through as part of a third-party project. As someone who had grown up in the YMCA, she was excited to see the growth of the facility and services. The idea of being part of something new and help grow it from the ground up was enticing to Nicole. The day after her walk-through she applied for a position with the YMCA.
The student was now the teacher. Nicole joined the YMCA team first as an Assistant Teacher where she had the opportunity gain experience and perspective in the classroom. Over the years her dedication to the children and program and passion to make a positive impact has led her to be promoted to where she is today: Early Learning Director.
No two days in this job are the same for Nicole.
Some days she supports the One Heart and Jump Start programs, other days she will spend her time creating and teaching training for new staff members across all of the YMCA locations in Rapid City. “Day to day varies drastically, but it keeps me on my toes,” Nicole says with a bright smile. YMCA services are vast, and there are five different buildings operated by the YMCA that Nicole may have to visit in a single day.
The best part of the job for Nicole? Working with staff on curriculum support and carrying out training.
She emphasizes the importance of a social-emotional curriculum where teachers are coached on how to work through emotional upset. “Gone are the days of ‘go sit in time out’,” she explained. “We teach consciousness discipline which gives skills to the teachers to work on regulating emotions.”
The way Nicole speaks about her work makes it clear that she is guided by empathy, kindness, and intellect. With leaders like Nicole cultivating mindful development, it’s easy to be optimistic for future generations and the world they will create.
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