Life in the Spotlight

A passion for children receiving a good education drives Shelby Davis to be a teacher who helps her students succeed academically and behaviorally. No matter what they choose to do after they leave school, Davis wants her students to know she’s...

A community can only be as strong and compassionate as its members. Jake Monhaut is impacted by his personal recovery journey to help those who are battling with addiction and make the city of Portage safer. Monhaut took the leap to become a member...

Amidst the bittersweet emotions of becoming a senior in school, Natalie Robinson continues to make a lasting, welcoming impression on her teammates and classmates. Robinson, a senior on Marquette Catholic High School’s Girls Basketball team, is...

Faith, family, and community guide Ed Lipowski in life and in his new role as the head of Portage Christian School. Lipowski knows he wouldn’t be the man he is today without God’s plan and the support of his wife and four children. Lipowski had a...

It takes a village of dedicated people to uplift each other and make their community a better place. Tiffany Gulley keeps herself busy by helping others in every aspect of her life, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Support from those who...

Learning doesn’t stop for anyone – even educators – when they allow themselves to interact with other walks of life. Anna Dimov isn’t afraid to admit her students have helped her along her journey to becoming a better person and educator. She...

Kira Krill’s love for dogs has taken her further than she could’ve ever imagined. Krill touches the lives of people and animals everyday, and in turn her own life has been touched by dogs in Portage and elephants in Thailand. If Krill could bring...

Jena-Rae Maldonado wears many hats when it comes to work and service. She is a specialist at The Caring Place, a Porter Township School Corporation safety specialist for prevention and awareness, an elected official of the Portage Township Board, and...

John Tran wants to offer every customer an experience as bubbly and memorable as the handcrafted drinks coming out of his new bubble tea shop. Originally from Nevada, this isn’t Tran’s first experience with owning a Teazentea franchise. He tried...

Most teenagers have to be persuaded to volunteer on the weekend. Olivia Hazzard, a sophomore at Marquette Catholic High School and lifelong Portage resident, gives back because she wants to, not because she has to. Hazzard’s earliest memory of...