by Lisa Martin/Photo by Eric Gonzalez

Karissa Armstrong is a small-town girl with a big-town crush, which started during her college years in Lincoln; being a Countess in the Aksarben Ball “was really my first experience into all that Omaha had to offer,” said Armstrong. “I really fell in love wiht the city at that point, and just knew I would come back.”

Originally from Minden, Neb. (south of Kearney), Armstrong graduated UNL with a degree in broadcast journalism, then moved into advertising in San Diego. But family and friends did, indeed, bring her back to the Midwest, and now she’s a familiar face in the Omaha scene, actively involved with All About Omaha, a charitable and social organization aimed at keeping young professionals engaged in the city.

Shout! sat down with Armstrong at the Riverfront’s Pedestrian Bridge to discuss winding career paths, the Torchlight Ball and the city’s image – a conversation that was less interview and more Omaha lovefest.

To read the full interview with Shout!, click here.