From the simplicity of rural Nebraska to the hustle and bustle of city life, Jessica Epting is proof that humble beginnings are sometimes the best kind. Epting is a visual information specialist at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
, the largest library in the world, where her days are full of creativity and intrigue. It's a place in life that she began working toward at a young age — she just didn't know it at the time. "I had a very different trajectory for my life when I was growing up," Epting said.
"But I think if young me could have seen where I am now, she would have been pleased." Developing her passion Epting was raised in North Platte, a community of just under 24,000 people, nestled between twin rivers and flanked by sandhills and cornfields. One of nine children, Epting was homeschooled from second grade on.
Homeschooling allowed her to explore and focus on things she was passionate about such as artistic expression. "I enjoyed being creative growing up — sewing, knitting, crocheting, writing poems and constantly painting my bedroom walls," Epting said. "My mom often tells the story of me moving around the same flower in the Microsoft Paint program in the middle of the night, planning a future design.
" Before she graduated, she started researching interior design and fashion design colleges. "At that time, I didn't even know what graphic design was," Epting said. "My mom came to me one day with information about a new program Mid-Plains Community Coll.
