Where Are They Now? Frahms focused on "getting it right"

"I'm not here to be right, I'm trying to get it right." This quote by Texas researcher Brene Brown is at the heart of the Frahms' approach to life, career and family.

For the past four years, Kristi Frahm has written an exclusive series about the lives of area graduates. Readers were delighted with stories about alumni success at all ages and in nearly all corners of the world. When she retired last month, Kristi left the "Where Are They Now?" story about her own grown children "in the very capable hands of "Transcript" editor and owner Amy Wobbema," as she herself put it.

Nine years separate Whitney and Kendall, graduates of 2004 and 2013 respectively. When Whitney graduated from high school at New Rockford Central, Kendall had just finished third grade. Kendall refers to himself as the "annoying little brother" at that time, who very much wanted to connect with his older sister and her "cool" friends. Although they were in very different places in their lives as kids, Whitney and Kendall have worked to maintain a great sibling relationship as adults.

Parents Donn and Kristi instilled a healthy work ethic in their youth. Whitney remembers her first job babysitting for Teddy, Rebecca, Renelle, and Rachel Allmaras. She also worked for the "Transcript" for a summer writing profiles of local businesses. Kendall had multiple jobs throughout high school. He was seen bagging groceries at Miller's, working for the city and tending to the crops on the Stuart Richter farm.

Growing up in a farming community, both Frahm siblings still very much have agricultural ties that continue to influence their adult lives. When Kendall entered college, he knew he wanted to pursue a career in agriculture. He received his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics with minors in crop and weed science and accounting from NDSU. After college he started an adventure as a trainee with Bunge North America, a St. Louis based agribusiness and food ingredient company that supplies raw and processed commodities to various industries, including livestock producers, food processors, food service companies and bakeries. Over the course of three years, he spent time in Albany, Ill, Cape Girardeau, Mo. and finally McGregor, Iowa.

Kendall met Dakota, his girlfriend of four years, on a turkey farm in Ada, Minn. She currently works for Sioux Nation Ag Center in South Dakota providing consulting services to turkey producers, as well as selling feed and pharmaceuticals. Dakota is a native of Gackle, N.D.

Kendall now works as a merchandiser with Agtegra Cooperative of Aberdeen, S.D. A typical day for him involves either working on one of the product line desks or purchasing grain from North Dakota farmers. He manages the delivery of grain into various elevators, bean crush plants, and ethanol plants and trades risk management strategies to improve farmer profitability.

Whitney's education and career path evolved through her love of writing and communication. After high school, she attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., pursuing a double major in English Writing and Public Relations. She met her husband Brice in a sophomore communications course. She was heavily involved in campus life, from taking on a role in student government and giving campus tours to working in the campus ministry office and coaching students on their speeches in the oral communication center. She graduated with her bachelor's degree in 2008.

The transition into graduate school was seamless for Whitney. She obtained her master's degree in Communication from NDSU. She taught several baccalaureate classes while there. After completing her master's in 2010, Whitney moved to Blaine, Minn (a suburb of Minneapolis) to find work. She began her career as a grant writer for Fox Advancement, a professional service firm for non-profit organizations that specializes in fundraising and campaign management. Fox was a fit for Whitney for three reasons: she loved writing, she had taken a grant writing course and really enjoyed it, and she knew she wanted to work with nonprofits.

Whitney went back to school at NDSU in 2012, as little brother Kendall entered his senior year of high school. During the pursuit of her doctorate degree, Whitney taught classes and even managed NDSU's public speaking courses from 2014-16. This involved training about 20 teaching assistants every semester and teaching a 200+ person mass lecture. She also taught as an adjunct instructor at Concordia College in fall 2015.

Whitney returned to Fox Advancement after she completed her graduate degree in 2016. She is part of a team of seven consultants managing capital campaigns for non-profit organizations they serve. "I love this work because there is a TON of variety, and it's incredibly rewarding to help nonprofits do good work in our community," she says.

Although Whitney isn't directly employed in the agricultural field, her husband Brice is a Grains Manager at Purina, which is owned by Land O'Lakes. A native of Moorhead, Minn, Brice worked in various locations for Cargill for about 10 years before he took the job with Land O'Lakes.

Whitney and Brice were married in 2013 and have two young children, four-year-old son Drew and two-year-old daughter Ellis. The couple live in Shoreview, Minn.

Self-proclaimed "foodies", Whitney and Kendall both agree there is one place they miss in their hometown: Bakers Dozen!

"I have been to bakeries all over the country and have not found one as good as the one in New Rockford," Kendall noted. Whitney especially misses the fresh maple Persians at the local bakery, and said she can't find any as tasty in the expansive Twin Cities. Kendall also enjoys the popcorn at the Rockford Theatre, which he says is "amazing."

Besides food, Kendall and Whitney share an affinity for travel. Their parents fostered that love, as they took many family vacations with their growing family. In fact, as a young boy, Kendall had dreams of becoming a pilot. However, he says that as he got older, he developed a phobia of flying. That hasn't stopped him from seeking out great deals on flights though! Whitney recalls a particular trip to New Orleans she and Brice took with Kendall and Dakota. "Kendall found an incredibly cheap flight and a great Airbnb. We had an awesome time!" Whitney fondly remembers.

Whitney's most memorable trip, however, was her and Brice's honeymoon in Belize. "We were able to ride horses in the jungle, snorkel with tropical fish and sharks, and eat some of the most incredible food I've ever had," she recalls. They had just one small hiccup though–their luggage didn't arrive until the day before they returned home from the 12-day trip. They took a day trip to Guatemala just to get some new clothes!

The highlight of Kendall's travel experiences is quite recent, as he and Dakota traveled to Ireland in March 2020, which he says was fantastic. "The Irish people are so friendly and welcoming, and the scenery/history is unbelievable," he recalls.

In the game of life, the Frahm siblings both took cues from their active, successful parents. Donn has flourished in his 41-year career with Farmers Union Insurance, having spent 38 of those years right here in New Rockford helping farmers, business owners and community members manage risk. Kristi taught English for 30 years in four different North Dakota "Class B" high schools: Regent, Carrington, Sheyenne, and New Rockford.

Both have also been active volunteers for various local organizations. Donn was president of the school board, a founder of the New Rockford Community Foundation, and an active volunteer for Lutheran Home of the Good Shepherd and the New Rockford Area Betterment Corporation. Kristi lends her time and talents to First Lutheran Church, Dollars for Scholars, DPRCA, the local food pantry, and many other community organizations. Whitney was instrumental in establishing a Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) chapter in New Rockford as a high schooler. Kristi served as the advisor for several years, and the organization remains active to this day under the advisement of Carissa Johnson. The chapter has influenced many other local youth to pursue leadership roles.

For Whitney, who now has the experience of raising her own children, the lessons her parents passed down are particularly poignant. She says, " I enjoy nothing more than spending a weekend outside with my kids. They love to go to the park, play with water balloons, and pick tomatoes in our garden – it's the best! They find joy in everything and I have learned so much from that approach to life. The simple things bring me the most satisfaction today. I am deeply grateful for my family and our health."

It was also Whitney who supplied the opening quote. She says, "I'm committed to 'getting it right' with my relationships and with my career...and many times that means admitting that I don't know everything and recognizing that I have a lot to learn," she says. "I want to model inclusivity and curiosity for my kids so they are open to learning about different lifestyles and cultures. I think this will equip them to build and maintain successful relationships and tackle problems with a sincere desire to get it right rather than to be right."

Kendall sums up his philosophy as, "Be assertive, take calculated risks and find ways to enjoy life outside of work."