Success Story
Courtney Klein-Faust
Attorney
Guess what? The grass can be green on both sides of the fence. Just ask Courtney Klein-Faust. But for a while, of course, she wasn’t sure. While attending Battle Creek High School, the young Cornhusker wanted to leave Nebraska, expecting wonderful opportunities and excitement in the big cities. But after living in Washington, D.C., for seven years, Klein-Faust moved back to Norfolk, seeking a slower-paced lifestyle and a friendlier community. Now, after living on both sides of the fence, Klein-Faust said she is finally satisfied.
“You appreciate the things you have here once you’ve seen something else,” Klein-Faust said. “We noticed the things we always took for granted in Norfolk.”
Klein-Faust said an interest in politics led her to start dreaming of a life outside of Nebraska. She took those aspirations with her to Wayne State College and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1998.
The political hopeful and her new husband, Anthony Faust of Norfolk, then made the move to Washington, D.C., so she could attend law school at George Washington University. She earned her law degree in three years and started working for the Association of International Educators as a lobbyist on Capitol Hill.
It seemed like a dream come true: Not only was Klein-Faust working in the heart of American politics, but she also had access to great restaurants, shopping malls and museums. The diversity of the population also impressed her.
“You could meet people from all walks of life. It was fun to get to know them,” Klein-Faust said with the professionalism and polish of someone who has worked in both politics and law.
For seven years, Klein-Faust was satisfied with the life she and her husband lived. Slowly, though, she began to realize the value of what she had left in Battle Creek.
“We really enjoyed our time in D.C., but we realized we missed a lot of things about this area,” Klein-Faust said. “We like the lifestyle - it’s slower paced, and you can have a career and still have time for a family.”
In fact, life in Norfolk seemed to not be burdened with everything that Washington, D.C., had. Traffic congestion, a high cost of living and the multitude of people in the sprawling metropolitan area all magnified what she missed about Northeast Nebraska. There also was a hectic, fast-paced lifestyle that left little time to concentrate on friends or a family.
“It’s as though people expect you to be a workaholic,” Klein-Faust said.
These were the factors that prompted Klein-Faust and her husband to start discussing a possible return to Norfolk. In addition, Mike Flood, a fellow attorney who now serves as Madison County’s state senator, encouraged her to move back when they talked during her visits to Nebraska.
“No one had broached the topic with us,” Klein-Faust said. “People just assumed once you left, you wouldn’t even think about coming back because you had this great, new, exciting life. They thought we were a lost cause.”
A significant reason for the decision was the prospect of having children. Klein-Faust said that although Washington, D.C., is a prime location for working adults, the lifestyle is not suitable to raise a family in. In addition, she and her husband felt they benefited from growing up in a smaller community and wanted to give their children the same chance.
Klein-Faust said she will encourage her children to leave not only the state, but also the country when they are adults - at least for a time. Klein-Faust studied abroad in Mexico and Ecuador and said those experiences also helped her learn to appreciate life in the Norfolk area.
“I don’t know if it’s necessarily a good thing to prevent people from leaving,” Klein-Faust said. “An experience outside of Nebraska,” she said, “serves a double purpose. For one thing, it provides fresh perspectives and good experience. But it also makes people appreciate what they had in Nebraska, so they’re more likely to come back and contribute to the community.”
Klein-Faust and her husband moved back to Norfolk during the Christmas season of 2004. She is now working as an attorney at Fitzgerald, Vetter and Temple in Norfolk. Her husband is interviewing for jobs.
“We’re very happy with our decision,” Klein-Faust said. “I think the quality of life is better here, once you decide to settle down.”
- Story Courtesy of the Norfolk Daily News
