Life in the Spotlight

Teaching preschool is a daunting task for anyone, especially when teaching students with special needs. Robin Nelson is one of the people that participate in that line of work and has been doing it for 38 years. Nelson got involved in special...

Teaching runs in Gayle Frank’s family. Her mother was a third-grade teacher, and her older brother also teaches. Frank is in her 43rd year of teaching special education after growing up in Highland teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School....

After working as a truck driver for Amazon in Elmwood, Illinois, Jess Drwal decided to come back to the Region to be close to her family in Portage and Hobart. This led to her current job as a truck driver for Holland Special Delivery in Munster...

It was 2019 when Rosemary Martinez opened Power Nutrition, a nutrition club in Portage. The mother of three wanted a career that would allow her to spend more time with her kids. That led her to owning Power Nutrition and additionally Ultimate...

Working different jobs in multiple areas can be a hard feat, but Laryssa Vaclavik miraculously does it every day. Not only is she working towards her teaching license, but she is also a substitute teacher, a lifeguard, and an assistant coach for the...

Being selected to participate in the American Choir Directors Association (ACDA)’s National Conference is a tremendous honor for any young musician. Less than 10 students are selected each year to participate from each state. For the Barnes family,...

As a member of the Portage community and the Finance and Information Specialists for the Food Service Department for Portage schools, Amanda Palmer is a vital piece of a huge puzzle making Portage the great community that it is. Palmer does a variety...

A hard-working businessman, Jason Doran Jr., has worked his way to running a business, while also having two other jobs. Doran is an assistant manager at Phantom Fireworks in Highland, Indiana. He also coaches the Portage High School freshman...

Some people are born for competition. They strive to be better than everyone else on the court, always working to outshine opponents and come out on top. Others, like Portage High School Junior Ava Melendez, understand that a competitive spirit is...

No matter where life takes her, Portage High School (PHS) Senior Brooke Trinidad is sure to be found dancing through it all with an upbeat, positive, and sparkling attitude each and every day. While currently the captain of the PHS Dance Team, the...