Nadya Bucklin cherishes the quiet life in Mountain Lake. The town of 1,976 residents sits nestled in the heart of Cottonwood County in southwest
Minnesota. It’s the same city she grew up in. As a kid living on a hobby farm, Bucklin was surrounded by large gardens and fruit trees, plus she helped care for a variety of animals.
“Chickens, ducks, goats, pigs, and always a dog and some cats!” she recalls fondly.
Yet, as she approached adulthood, Bucklin remembers feeling a yearning for adventure beyond southwest Minnesota.
“I wanted to leave the small community,” she says. “I wanted to experience life in other parts of the country and the world. So after earning my bachelors degree in global studies at the University of Minnesota I spent some time as an English teacher and au pair in Russia. That experience made me realize that I wanted to continue to be an educator, whatever that might look like.”
Looking to expand her career opportunities, Bucklin returned to Minnesota and earned a master’s in international development at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Afterwards, she resumed traveling around the U.S. and abroad, while working as a nanny and a private educator.
“After years in education and childcare, working long hours and doing a lot of traveling, it started being physically and mentally draining,” she admits. “I was ready to move away from the city and put down some roots.”
Bucklin continues, “I also realized that while my master’s program was focused on international development, I felt that I would be happier trying to make a local impact. The same need for resources, information, and knowledge exists locally, too.”
