Life in the Spotlight

Rachel Calderone isn’t originally from the Region, but she loves to call Northwest Indiana home. As an alumnus of Hanover Central High School, Calderone first moved here at the beginning of her high school career and hasn’t looked back since. As...

Portage High School Orchestra Director Annelise Rhoda has her parents to thank for the career that she loves as a music teacher. They encouraged her to follow what she loved, and being a music teacher has been her dream since she was a...

Portage resident Larry Darnell is committed to each aspect of his life. It started when he married his wife 53 years ago and moved to the area. Now, he's working with his wife to crush their weight loss goals through the nonprofit Take Off Pounds...

Art can consist of a multitude of talents and can be created on many different canvases, and self-made makeup artist Patricia Amber understands exactly what that means. What started as a high school hobby for Amber became her...

Michele Stowers never imagined she would one day become a bus driver for Portage schools, but now she cannot imagine her life any other way. After being stuck in a job she was not a big fan of, Stowers decided she needed a career change that would...

From cheerleader with a mentor to cheer coach and mentor herself, Jessica Cruse teaches the power of kindness and confidence to area youth through NWI Champion Force Athletics.   Cruse started cheering at age eight in what was then called...

Brandon King takes the phrase “all the world’s a stage” to heart. The Portage native has always had a life-long passion for stand-up comedy, and he’s working hard to turn it into a full-time career. His love for comedy began as a child, long...

Once a Portage native who now lives in Michigan City, Valerie Plinovich is sure to be a star on the big screen. Currently working for Luke Family of Brands, Plinovich is using her degree in broadcast communications to break into the film industry. ...

Portage resident Taylor Calhoun has turned her passion for animals into a career worth going bananas over. Calhoun works for Peaceable Primate Sanctuary in Winamac, Ind., which serves as a retirement center for primates who have been abused or no...

Joyce Russell has dedicated her life to telling others’ stories, and now her own story gets to be told. As a Northwest Indiana native, Russell has lived in Portage for 42 years. During this time,...