Q&A With Katie Sextro

28 Feb Q&A With Katie Sextro

Welcome to the first feature in our series of Q & A’s with Emerge Marketing Solution’s employees/subcontractors! In this series, we encourage those closest to Emerge to share their stories. Find out why they choose to live in Iowa, their perceptions of our state, vision and goals, and more. Our goal with is to inspire others to invest in rural Iowa; inform you about what it’s like to live and work in Iowa; and show the impact (great or small) each of us can make as a result of our dedication to community and business in rural Iowa.

In celebration of her birthday today (2/28) and her one month celebration of working for Emerge, we invited Katie Sextro, Emerge’s 1st employee and our Creative Specialist to share her thoughts first! We’ll let Katie take it from here…

Hey everybody, I’m Katie! I grew up in Manning, Iowa and currently live in Storm Lake, Iowa, right on the lake with my fiancé, A.J. I graduated from The University of Iowa in 2017 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. I received my master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Buena Vista University in 2019. I love the Iowa Hawkeyes, summer, shopping and traveling.

Choosing to live in Iowa

I am passionate about helping people see the rewards of living in a small town and helping to revitalize rural America! I have never lived anywhere other than Iowa, but I have done quite a bit of traveling throughout my life. I always saw myself moving to California, but I have grown to really appreciate living in Iowa, and now I don’t see myself leaving. Now, I’ve come to see that people in Iowa truly care and want to help one another out and that you can easily get to know your neighbors and become involved in your community.

Not only do you have the option to live in a bigger city such as Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Ames, Quad Cities, Council Bluffs, or Sioux City, but you can also live in a smaller town and still have the convenience of big-city amenities such as a wide range of restaurant selections, entertainment, nightlife and shopping. You can even live in a really small town and still have easy access to the best quality of life, healthcare, entertainment, education and more.

Changing perceptions of Iowa

I think the perception of Iowa is that there are only those small farming towns, that you have to drive long distances for any amenities, and that there is nothing to do. In order to change that perception and attract families and young people to Iowa we need to promote the accessibility of necessary and desired amenities and conveniences like good healthcare and education systems, entertainment, shopping, and more.

The low cost of living, privacy, employment opportunities and quality of life Iowans are privileged to have need to be highlighted as well. To do so, we need to promote certain communities in Iowa, big and small, that possess these features and find people to tell their story of why they choose to live in Iowa and why others should as well. We need to show parents that they can raise their children in a safe, affordable, welcoming and thriving environment. And this is why I love Emerge Marketing Solutions!

Attract and retain young people to live in Iowa

To encourage young people to either move back to Iowa or draw them in to visit, promoting and showcasing communities like West Des Moines or downtown Des Moines and the opportunities, resources and amenities that are available in these cities is necessary to catch their attention. Finding recent college grads and young adults in their upper 20’s and low 30’s to give testimonials as to why they chose to live in Iowa would be powerful and relevant for others their age. I think that when young people become aware of the opportunities they have and the amenities and resources available to them combined with a low cost of living and high quality of life, Iowa becomes much more appealing.

For example, Des Moines is one of the top ranked places to live in America, especially for young people and it is rapidly growing and expanding. I have been seeing trends of more people deciding to live in cities like Des Moines instead of moving to the coasts. They are also moving back home after college or after being away for a while.

For me, I find comfort knowing that I can have a great career, get married, find a home and raise my children in a safe, nurturing and welcoming environment and still be close to family, friends, entertainment, healthcare and more. I do think people are starting to see more of an appeal of living in smaller communities, so we just need to capitalize on that trend and show those who don’t live in Iowa just what they’re missing.

In Closing…

Thank you Katie for sharing your perspective…! We hope that others are seeing the same value that you see in rural Iowa and will consider moving here when they, too, are ready to live the best life, raise a family, and be successful in their careers!

Stay tuned for more features with Emerge Marketing subcontractors. We think you’ll be delighted to hear the great things they have to say about Iowa and why they’re proud to be from here.