As the 2025 South Dakota Week of Work continues, we are highlighting the diverse paths students take when turning their passions into professions. In the Sioux Falls School District, we believe career readiness starts early, and Sawyer Abbott’s story proves just how powerful that preparation can be.
Sawyer Abbott, a senior at Lincoln High School, is just weeks away from stepping into one of the most respected roles in our country, serving in the United States Marine Corps. But his decision to enlist wasn’t spontaneous. It was the result of years of personal growth, career exploration, and mentorship, beginning right here in the Sioux Falls School District.
Sawyer’s path through the Sioux Falls School District took him from Robert Frost Elementary to Edison and Whittier Middle Schools, and ultimately to Lincoln High School. One defining moment? Attending a Marine Corps PT session with his older brother. “Feeling the motivation in the room helped me make up my mind,” he said.
That spark turned into something more during his freshman year when he joined the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) at Lincoln. “I didn’t think I’d be interested in it at first,” Sawyer admitted, “but my brother convinced me to give it a try by attending the summer camp. That experience motivated me to join, and it changed everything.”
Through JROTC, Sawyer found a place to grow, not just physically and mentally, but as a leader. He joined the drill and marksmanship teams, wore the Marine uniform with pride, and developed the discipline and confidence that would prepare him for military life. “JROTC is all about leadership,” he explained. “It gave me the opportunity to lead as early as freshman year and explore what kind of leader I want to be.”
Sawyer’s career path will soon take him to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California. After completing boot camp and Marine Combat Training (MCT), he will begin specialized training in Combat Imagery and Multimedia (45XX), combining his military path with a creative passion he discovered during high school art class.
“Mr. Travis Hinton, my visual arts and pottery teacher, helped me see that creativity still had a place in my future, even in the military.” Sawyer shared. “His classes showed me that being a Marine doesn’t mean giving up who I am. It actually led me to the photography field within the Corps.”
Along with JROTC and the visual arts, Sawyer points to the wide variety of SFSD classes, like welding, auto, debate, and strength training, that helped shape him. “Classes like P.E. helped me with the physical side, while others like debate gave me public speaking and decision-making skills,” he said. “All of it helped with time management, discipline, and figuring out what I want.”
He also credits Sergeant Major Bakken, the MCJROTC instructor at Lincoln, as one of the biggest influences in his life. “He helped me understand the history, values, and expectations of the Marine Corps. Everything I need to know, how to wear the uniform, lead others, and hold myself accountable, started in that class.”
As he looks ahead, Sawyer is most excited for the next step: 13 intensive weeks of boot camp, and eventually, joining his brother and close friends in service to the country. His advice to younger students in the Sioux Falls School District? “Try everything. Take the CTE classes, join a club, explore programs that sound interesting. You never know what path might lead you to your purpose.”
Sawyer Abbott’s story is a powerful reminder that career exploration happens inside and outside the classroom, and that real-world learning can lead to extraordinary outcomes. From elementary school student to future United States Marine, his path is the very spirit of the Week of Work.