Christina Bilyak is making an impact throughout the Region, both in her job and within the arts community.
Bilyak, a native of Portage, now calls Valparaiso her home. She is a former student of Bethel University in Mishawaka, where she studied stage management for theater. She is currently a barista at Yaggy Road Roasting.
Bilyak has built a rapport with the youth of the area while serving up coffee, which may have roots in her own upbringing. She has two younger siblings, one younger step-sibling and two older step-siblings. Her family holds an important place in her heart.
“That's part of why I moved back here after college, because I like to be around them,” Bilyak said. “They've always been my biggest support, and I've always been there for them.”
Bilyak also remembers the children at her church and the mark her congregation left upon her while she was growing up. She believes the young people today will make their own impact in the future, like the generations before them.
“I really think that it's great to invest into them,” Bilyak said. “They're the ones that are going to be taking care of us one day.”
Bilyak enjoys traveling and playing video games in her spare time. She likes to walk around in nature whenever she gets the chance or just hang out with people around town. Interacting with people is something Bilyak treasures.
“I like learning a lot of things about life that I didn't already know, seeing it from their perspective,” Bilyak said.
Bilyak and a friend of hers are currently developing a Chamber of Commerce for the Arts. The goal of the organization is to help artists network with one another and further their artistic careers.
“We know that it's hard for local artists to connect with people and network, because there’s not really much space for them to do that here, but there are so many artists here,” Bilyak said. “We wanted to create a nonprofit that will foster a creative community in this area.”
Bilyak was involved with performing music while a student at Portage High School. Although she no longer performs, she is working on the Chamber of Commerce for the Arts as a way to help her friend's studio out once it moves from Champaign, Illinois to Chicago, and wants to expand its presence in Northwest Indiana as well. She cherishes having connections in place in the Chicagoland area prior to the move, because she believes it will be valuable to the studio.
Bilyak enjoys living in Valparaiso, especially with the youthful atmosphere emanating in the community. However, Bilyak still has a great fondness for her hometown Portage as well.
“I genuinely think that the community really looks out for each other,” Bilyak said. “They do the farmers markets on Fridays, and then they do the movies in the park. I really just see everybody coming together and make it a cool thing.”