SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — On April 1 two women, Jill Janecke and Abby Martinez, were announced as the two local winners of Nexstar’s Remarkable Women initiative.
Janecke, of Pierre, spent the last 12 years building up Rising Hope Counseling, a mental health clinic, and Martinez, out of Jones County, is an elementary teacher in Murdo.
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The two were most recently a part of a large group of women who made their way to Los Angeles for the national Remarkable Women conference.
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The two described the trip as something of a whirlwind. The women each left for Los Angeles on Sunday.
“We flew out to LA, which was a great experience,” said Janecke. “We were picked up in our own little black Cadillacs and taken to our hotel.”
Martinez did not spend much time at the hotel upon arrival, she said.
“I was so ready for a nap, but I didn’t want to miss my opportunity to explore. So instead I took off and I walked Hollywood Boulevard,” she said.
That evening included a cocktail party and time for socialization.
“I went downstairs and immediately coming off the elevator started meeting everyone. We hadn’t even made it out into the cocktail party or the pool yet, but we were already exchanging names and who we were or what we were passionate about,” said Martinez. “By the time the doors even opened, we already probably each had 10 friends or so.”
The next day, Monday, was busy, Janecke said while rattling off the schedule. “We had breakfast and then we went to Warner Brothers for a tour. We were able to attend the Jennifer Hudson show. And then we had a gala that evening where we just celebrated all the women that were present,” she said.
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The taping of the Jennifer Hudson and Nexstar Remarkable Woman of the Year shows were a unique experience for Martinez. “This was like my first ever experience with anything television related. So a lot of it seemed otherworldly. Extremely amazing,” she said. “It was fun to watch all of the behind the scenes stuff from what you actually see on TV.”
When asked about the highlight of the trip, both Janecke and Martinez were on the same page.
“It was just really amazing to be around so many inspiring women,” said Janecke. “That was both humbling and energizing to bring back ideas.”
Martinez also called the experience inspiring, but also noted an experience of personal growth.
“A really big problem for me going into this situation was that there was a lot of imposter syndrome where I felt like I was going to be going into this room full of all of these women,” explained Martinez. “I had learned a little bit about them, and just thinking how wonderful and how earth shattering — amazing each of those women were — and feeling like I didn’t stand up to them.”
Martinez said she didn’t think she was alone in this feeling, and added that the feeling changed as the experience went on.
“I realized that out of all of the 125 women that were there, we were all kind of on a journey,” she said. “Some of the women there were at the end of their journey, you know, they had been working on something that they’re passionate about for 40 years or 50 years. Some women were in the middle of their journey — and their passion was just taking off and taking root — and then there was just a whole other crop of women that I felt like, we’re on the other end, where we were just beginning to see what our potential is.”
Each of the women is taking something away from the experience.
“The whole thing about bringing people together and acknowledging their stories is definitely that I want to continue with the Midwest,” said Janecke. “I feel like I represented South Dakota when I went there.”
“I’m bringing home renewed passion for my community and a renewed sense of drive that I may be little, I may be rural, I may live in one of the least populated counties in South Dakota,” said Martinez. “I work and I thrive there, but my reach is much farther than what I expected it to be or what I feel like it can be.”
After such an eventful trip, it’s a lot to settle back into upon getting home. “It’s a tough adjustment after being spoiled rotten for two and a half days to come back and remember that I do have a life, and I have to take care of other people as well,” joked Martinez.
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Janecke said something similar in her interview, remarking: “We didn’t really have to schedule everything. Everything was scheduled for us. So we really felt pampered and being able just to really enjoy the trip.”
Janecke and Martinez know a secret as well — the identity of the Remarkable Woman of the Year, who will be revealed in a special on Sunday, April 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the CW Network. Be sure to tune in.
“I just want to give my most heartfelt, incredible thank you to everyone at KELOLAND, everyone at Nexstar, everyone in my community for thinking that I’m special enough — the team that thought that what I’m doing is big enough and important enough to be counted among those women that were there — So thank you so much. From from the bottom of my heart, my family’s heart. Thank you to everybody,” said Martinez.
