Groton graduates return home to join city electric department
June 25, 2026By Paul Kosel, Groton Daily Indpendent; republished with permission
Two Groton Area School District graduates have begun working with the city of Groton, SD’s electric department, turning hometown roots and longtime interests into careers in line work.
Teylor Diegel and Korbin Kucker, both members of the Groton Area Class of 2025, recently completed training at Mitchell Technical College and are now beginning their careers serving their hometown community.
For Diegel, the interest in electrical work started at a young age.
“I always wanted to do it since I was a little kid,” Diegel said. “It was more my Uncle TJ—always being around in the bucket truck. That kind of piqued my interest when I was young and I kind of just fell in love with it and decided that’s what I wanted to do.”
Diegel attended Mitchell Tech, where he spent nine months learning the fundamentals of the trade.
“It’s more just to learn the basics,” he explained. “They teach you as much as they can in that time span. But they’re a growing school and they’re starting to do better things quicker. I think that school will be pretty big in the next couple years.”
When asked why he chose to apply in Groton, Diegel’s answer was simple.
“Hometown. Easy,” he said. “You get to know everybody here, so it’s a lot nicer.”
Kucker said his interest in line work also began during his school years after completing a research project on the profession.
“It was something that I did a research project on in school when I was, I think, a freshman,” Kucker said. “Just learning about it and being around it a little bit really sparked my interest. Talking with my dad, he told me to shoot for the stars. It’s a great profession, and so far it’s been nothing short of that.”
Like Diegel, Kucker said returning home to work in a small community played a major role in his decision.
“It’s hometown. It’s my community,” Kucker said. “I grew up in this community. Everyone knows me and I know just about everyone. Small communities are special. I’d rather be back home in a small community than off somewhere random with nobody supporting me like they used to.”
The pair said they actually did not realize they had both applied for the positions until interview day.
Bringing Talent Home
Stories like Kucker’s and Diegel’s highlight the importance of investing in the next generation of utility workers.
Heartland Energy’s Workforce Development Program helps customer communities address workforce challenges through recruitment incentives, training support, signing bonuses, and relocation assistance.
The goal is simple: help communities attract skilled employees and create opportunities for local talent to build careers where they grew up.
To learn more, contact Kelly Dybdahl at 605-256-6536.
“I don’t even think we knew we both applied for it,” Kucker said. “I think I found out when I was walking out from my interview and he was walking in.”
Diegel said city officials informed him they planned to contact Kucker shortly after offering him the position.
Kucker received his call while working during class at Mitchell Tech.
“I was in my power grid and transformer connections class sweeping out the shop and getting ready for the lineman rodeo,” Kucker said. “My phone started ringing and I got the news. I was pretty pumped and didn’t sweep a single thing after that.”
Diegel joked that he received his call while sitting in English class.
“It was a good way to interrupt it,” he said.
Both young men now begin the next chapter of their careers helping power the community they grew up in.
