Get to Know: Gloria Hutson

Gloria Hutson has always been drawn to helping others in her community. During her 15 years of working in direct care, she’s held several different positions, ranging from kitchen and maintenance work to becoming the program director at the New Beginnings Center.

“I’ve loved working every position I’ve done here,” she said.

Hutson attended school in Redfield before dropping out and worked in Aberdeen briefly before she moved to the Fargo-Moorhead area. She came back to Aberdeen during the height of COVID. Her grandparents still lived in Tulare, and her siblings had spread out across South Dakota. Once she came back, she worked at Aspire before accepting a position at the New Beginnings Center.

In 2021, she found her niche while she worked as the independent living skills coordinator.

“I went to school for business, and now it makes sense,” she said. “I taught things like budgeting, taxes, and credit scores, and having an aptitude for math made that easy for me. Being able to empower youth to be independent is great. That’s always been the most important thing to me.”

Hutson also said that being in a leadership position has helped her build up her employees as well as the students attending New Beginnings.

“Everyone, kid or employee, is someone’s sibling, child, or friend,” she said. “I’m always looking out for what’s important to them and what’s good for them.”

One of the ways that Hutson helps her kids is by sharing her own story and struggles.

“Lots of kids go through their own generational cycle, and I broke mine,” she said. “It’s important for kids to hear my story if it’ll help them.” //

Q: How does your work reflect your passion?

A: Over the past 15 years, my work in direct care has been guided by a deep passion for enriching the lives of those who need it most. I’ve dedicated myself to empowering individuals, fostering independence, and advocating for their needs. In every role I’ve had I’ve identified opportunities to drive growth, expand services, and improve outcomes. My commitment is rooted in the high standards I would expect for my own children.

Q: What is something you love about the Aberdeen community?

A: Aberdeen has a very unique way of being affordable, family friendly, and inclusive. I may sometimes miss living in a bigger city but I am confident that I am exactly where I need to be. The community’s warmth and willingness to lend a hand is something that I have experienced many times as a single mother since moving back here. It’s a reminder that positive change can start in our own backyard.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

A: Sometimes this introvert needs to recharge the social battery and just enjoy being alone and doing nothing for a while. But other times I’m huge on packing up the kids and getting out of town for the weekend, I’m heavy on the getting lost in a random city’s downtown and seeing what the café and small shop scene has to offer. I love getting lost on purpose and trying to find my way back.

Q: Where is one of your favorite places to go in Aberdeen?

A: The Farmers Market on Malchow’s plaza has been good to me this year, loving the baked goods offered this summer. LaRue’s has also been steadily winning my heart with their pastries. Otherwise there’s some coffee places in town that know my name as soon as I start to say my order. The big takeaway here is baked goods and coffee… if you have them I will randomly appear.

Q: What is one word you would use to describe yourself?

A: The word I have heard throughout my life the most is “resilient” and I like to think I embody that. My life changed when I let go of rigid expectations and instead embraced acceptance of life’s ups and downs. Life is no longer something that happens to me but rather I get the opportunity to flex my inner strength and resourcefulness when something does go wrong. I was built for this, let’s go!

Q: Why is community involvement important to you?

A: By instilling a sense of community in youth we can help them develop a support network that goes beyond mere survival. When we recognize our shared humanity, we can build bridges, break down barriers, ands unlock a brighter future.

Q: How does New Beginnings make a difference in the lives of the youth?

A: Every kiddo will be impacted differently, but our goal is to inspire them to take ownership of their journey. We concentrate on unlocking potential, developing skills, and equipping them to return to their communities with renewed purpose, novel insights, and more optimistic outlook. We provide a secure space for growth, where they can forge their own path. I’m never going to tell them who they are, I want them to be able to tell me who they are.