Visiting Sioux Falls and Yankton

I went to Sioux Falls and Yankton earlier last week to interview employees and to take pictures. My first stop was the State Penitentiary where I took pictures of two of the officers working in the control room. The fun part was walking through a narrow passageway in the basement and climbing up a spiral staircase to reach the control room. After taking pictures of the officers, I took some pictures of other employees and of the State Penitentiary. The best part was seeing some of the inmates working with puppies. I then interviewed a chemical dependency counselor and a mental health professional.

My next stop was going to the Department of Transportation to interview engineers, a project technician, and a maintenance supervisor. All of them were knowledgeable and experienced in their fields. I had the opportunity to see the laboratory where they use different equipment to analyze soil.

Next, I went to the driver exam station to interview one of the employees there. The driver exam station was quite busy, and I’m glad one of the employees took time out of his day to talk to us about what it’s like assisting different people that come into the exam station.

My last stop of the day was back at the Department of Public Safety to interview a police officer and her police dog. What was really cool was that she said commands to the dog in German. I also gained some insight about what it’s like to be a highway patrol officer.

The next day I traveled to Yankton to interview nurses, social workers, and mental health professionals at the Human Services Center. I never realized how large the center is and variety of services it offers. I’m not a fan of hospitals, but the center had inspiring quotes and photographs on its walls, and I felt at ease. The center had everything from recreation rooms to laboratories. I definitely gained a lot of insight about the complexities of mental illness. All of the employees I interviewed were knowledgeable and passionate about their positions.

Thank you for reading!