Northern Indiana is full of people working hard every day to make their communities a better place. Since 2011, GreatNews.Life has been putting the spotlight on the people spreading this positivity in the Region with our Life in the Spotlight series. New articles are published every Wednesday, so be sure to check back often to learn more about the stories of great people doing great things in Northern Indiana.
Few people are bold enough to embark on a career in politics, but there does remain one brave man in Portage, Indiana who isn’t afraid to back his community: Patrick Clem, a city councilman over Second District. Throughout the last five...
Dan Komenda’s road to becoming the Field Forces Superintendent for the City of Portage began in 2009 when he joined the engineering department. “I came here because they wanted me to oversee and run the Stone Avenue project, which was a really,...
Todd Willis was born and raised in Portage, Ind. In 1991, Willis graduated from Portage High School, which was only the beginning of his journey. Willis then continued his education at Indiana University Northwest (IU Northwest) in Gary, Ind. While...
Jake Reeder is known as a father, husband, brother, son, and friend; but he is widely known as the General Manager (GM) of Reeder's Automotive Service Center in Portage, Ind. During adolescence Reeder grew up in the Northwest region and graduated...
In 2013, Debra “Dis” Disney retired from teaching health and physical education at Wheeler High School. Before Disney’s retirement, though, she shared about how much teaching meant to her and how much she enjoyed her position of...
Tara O’hare is an eighth-grade English teacher at Fegeley Middle School (FMS). Originally, O’Hare had intended to go into cosmetology, but when O’Hare got the opportunity to volunteer and assist children with special needs, her heart and mind...
Jessica Cohen is a lifelong Portage resident who loves her hometown and has found her dream career in her hometown. "After college, there was nowhere else I wanted to be other than ‘home’. Portage has always been it for me," Cohen said....
Meghan Birger is a teacher who has taught for 15 years in multiple schools amongst many experienced and inspirational teachers. “I grew up in Mount Prospect, IL. I made my way to Indiana when I attended Valparaiso University. My 15-year...
“Hey Adrienne, how are you doing today?” “Living the dream as always,” she said. Adrienne Cataldo, a teacher and newspaper sponsor at Portage High School, has had a positive outlook on her life even before moving to Valparaiso...
Gracie Hansen is a Portage resident studying to become an elementary and special education teacher. She currently works at Northview Elementary School as a paraprofessional in the Applied Skills Program. “I attended Portage High School and...