For many kids in Portage, there aren’t adequate resources such as food, school supplies or even someone to talk to about their problems. That’s where Nicole Sliger comes in. As a Homeschool Advisor for Portage High School, she provides these vital services to kids in need.
Sliger’s position may seem like an odd job for an employee of the high school, but this Valpo native’s job has nothing to do with homeschooling.
“I have the opportunity to talk to kids,” Sliger said, “That’s my whole job. I don’t have anything to do with scheduling, or testing, or anything like that, all I do is talk to kids.”
Sliger’s job is a little more important than your average school therapist or counselor. As a Home School Advisor, her job means that she provides resources for underprivileged or possibly troubled children through things such as the Portage Backpack Program, which provides weekend meals to children who otherwise would only be able to eat at school, helping children with getting clothes that will fit them, or simply helping them talk to their parents.
The position never gives Sliger the same day twice. Usually, she’ll reach out to the students she has regular contact with at the start of the day to see how their grades are and how their week is going. Then, she may contact or be contacted by parents or help with any student who may be having problems that she could assist with. Really, every day is a new experience.
Outside of her work as a Home School Advisor, a position she’s held since 2012, Sliger owns her own photography business.
“It’s wonderful, I’ve actually been a professional photographer longer than I’ve been a Home School Advisor,” she said, “I started doing professional photography when I was in college, and it’s really good.”
Her photography business, N. Sliger Photography, specializes in family portraits and has expanded her group of friends considerably.
“I have so many friends that started out as clients and are now friends,” she said fondly, “my son’s birthday is this weekend and I have so many clients coming to the party who have just become my friends over the years. Especially when you have really little kids, who get their photos taken a lot, you just get to know people,” Sliger said, “It’s great, it’s really great.”
Sliger, who has a one-year old son named Augustus, juggles her triple roles as mother, photographer, and Home School Advisor with a healthy dose of time management.
“I only do photography on the weekends,” she said, “And I edit photos at night after my son goes to bed. It’s just time management.”
Sliger not only lives in Valpo with her long-time boyfriend, their son, and their dogs, but also on the same street as her grandmother and within close driving distance to most of her extended family. The proximity to her family provides her with the support network she needed to become so great at everything she does.
“I’m one of those people that really gets along with their family,” she said, “So I actually really love having them nearby.”
Her family is one of the driving forces behind her life in Northwest Indiana and what keeps her in The Region to raise her own family.
“I was raised with tons and tons of cousins, and my mom is one of many siblings,” Sliger said, “I grew up with my family. My aunts would pick me up from school, or I would go to my grandma’s, I just can’t imagine raising my son without that.”
Her family has shaped her career path and her life into adulthood, according to Sliger.
“I don’t really go a day without talking to someone in my family,” she said. “I have a group text with my mom and all of her sisters.”
Sliger’s family has also influenced the way she does her job in a way that’s unique to her.
“Not every kid has a family like I do,” she said, “Definitely having such a great support system made me want to help provide that for other kids.”
Even though her heart is in The Region, her life has taken her many places.
“I studied abroad in Greece when I was junior in college,” said Sliger, “I’ve also traveled to Costa Rica and I’ve been all over the United States. My son’s only one and he’s flown maybe ten or twelve times this year [to visit my mom in Arizona.]”
She loves traveling to different places, but she also loves coming back home to Northwest Indiana.
“People ask all the time if I want to live where my mom is, because she didn’t move there until I was 20,” Sliger said, “I say, ‘It’s nice, but it’s really brown, and it’s really hot,’ and I always find some reason to say ‘This is why Valpo’s better.”
During the Summer, Sliger can be found with her boyfriend and son at Popcorn Fest or at Downtown Valpo’s Splash Pad. They can also be seen celebrating their anniversary at Meditrina Restaurant, or enjoying some delicious Valpo Velvet ice cream. However, it’s at the school where kids can really reap the benefits from her work. Sliger had these parting words for any child or teen that may be struggling right now: “Reach out for help. There are a lot of people who want to help, and let us know so we can provide some help, because usually you can’t do it alone, whatever it is.”